Sunday, March 3, 2013
Maryland Live Casino plans to open 122 tables on April 11.
Arundel Mills’ Maryland Live! Casino will debut 122 tables of live action games on April 11, according to a Washington Post article. Last November, Maryland voters approved Question 7, allowing Maryland Live and two other gambling establishments to not only offer table games in 2013, but to stay open 24 hours a day. To make room for the table games, more than 400 slot machines are being removed. The initial live table games will include so-called “carnival” variations of poker such as Pai Gow, three-card and Mississippi stud, as well as blackjack and craps. According to the Post, casino officials plan to add a split-level poker room in Summer 2013. Dealers for the table games were required to take a 12-week course at the Maryland Love …
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Almost 90 percent of Marylanders have gambled in their lifetime with 22 percent gambling monthly, CNS Maryland's Kelsey Pospisil reports.
TELL US: Do you think gambling addiction will grow in the state of Maryland if a new casino opens in Prince George's County? Join the discussion in our comments.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Mayland voters narrowly approved Question 7 last week, but not before a lot of money was spent.
Groups with a stake in Maryland's referendum on expanded gambling spent more than $35 a vote during the 2012 campaign, according to an analysis by WTOP. Unofficial results from the Maryland Board of Elections show that 2,479,262 people cast a vote on Question 7, which asked residents whether they favored the introduction of table games to the state and the addition of a sixth casino in Prince George's County. The measure narrowly passed by a margin of 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent. But before the matter was decided, opponents and supporters undertook enormous advertising efforts to sway voters. Casino operators that stood to benefit—including MGM Resorts International, CBAC Gaming LLC, and The Peterson Companies—were pitted against casinos …
Monday, November 5, 2012
Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot face off on Question 7 before voters decide the gambling question Tuesday.
Maryland's Question 7 is one of the most controversial ballot initiatives facing voters when they head to the polls Tuesday, and it hits close to home in the Washington, DC, area. A top proponent and a leading opponent of Maryland's gambling provision argue their positions in Patch's Local Voices section. Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is in favor of gambling expansion, while Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is in opposition. "Arguments for the facility echo the ones I have made: that it will create jobs, generate revenue, and establish a destination with world class amenities that serves both residents and tourists," Baker wrote. "The “staggering hypocrisy” of casino owners funding an anti-casino referendum was …
A look at what's at stake—and how the battle is being waged.
Note: This article was originally published on Oct. 25 but is being featured again ahead of Tuesday's election. WHAT IT'S ABOUT Question 7 asks voters whether they favor a plan to expand gambling in Maryland that would: The ballot question is a result of legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly during its 2012 special session (view the House and Senate roll calls) and signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Several other portions of the law are not subject to a referendum. Slot machines have been permitted in the state since voters approved a gaming referendum (59 percent to 41 percent) in November 2008. Passage of Question 7 would mark a significant shift, however, bringing Maryland's casinos closer in line with those of Atlantic City …
The politics of religion in Maryland.
Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS - Religious beliefs have played a major role in the debates in Maryland over same-sex marriage, the Dream Act and gaming expansion. Capital News Service surveyed religious organizations, congregations, individual members and religious leaders and asked for their thoughts on Questions 4, 6 and 7. This graphic is not meant to represent entire faiths, only to sample how some people within different faiths report they feel. With reporting by Dana Amihere of Capital News Service.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
A civil case adds to the controversy over Question 7.
Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS - Former Prince George's County Councilman Thomas Dernoga filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the constitutionality of the expanded gambling referendum. If successful, the lawsuit could nullify the results of Question 7 on Tuesday. The suit argues that in order for Question 7 to pass, the majority of all registered voters, not just those who turn out to vote, would need to approve the measure. The suit names Gov. Martin O'Malley, Attorney General Doug Gansler, the State Board of Elections and others as defendants. "There has been some confusion created about the standard required to certify the election result," Dernoga said. Dernoga's claim is based on the language of the constitutional amendment that …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Question 7 has drawn the most expensive media campaign Maryland has ever seen as casino interests spar over gambling’s impact on schools funding.
The ads seem clear about next month’s referendum on expanding Maryland’s casino industry: “Question 7 will produce $199 Million in new funding for Maryland schools every year,” says VoteForSeven.com. Yet, “There is nothing in Question 7 or state law that requires the state to use gaming revenues to spend more on education than it would otherwise,” according to VoteNoOn7.com. The truth, according to news reports, appears to be: Both. With only two weeks before voters decide whether to add a sixth casino and to allow Vegas-style table games like poker and roulette, opponents and supporters have spent more than $50 million on the ad war to persuade voters ahead of the Nov. 6 election—spending unprecedented in Maryland, according to the …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Less than 20 voters were affected, according to the governor's office.
A small number of Prince George's and Montgomery County voters were sent absentee ballots for the Nov. 6 election that are missing a second page, the governor's office announced Wednesday. The omitted section contains and state ballot questions 4 to 7, which address key issues such as the legalization of gay marriage, a proposed expansion of gambling in Maryland, and the Dream Act. Several county-level referenda were also left out. In a statement, Gov. Martin O'Malley said the number of affected voters was less than 20. "The Board of Elections is working to investigate what caused this issue," O'Malley added. Voters who requested absentee ballots are urged to check them and ensure that a second page is included. Residents with an …
Monday, October 15, 2012
Companies for and against Question 7 have poured millions of dollars into campaign contributions to support, among other things, widespread advertising, CNS reports.
Dana Amihere and Greg Kohn also contributed to this graphic.
Pachacutec
2:05 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
If memory serves me, the local and state poltiicians DID bring up the "addiction" angle, as well as the morality of gambling and so on back in the days when local charities were running table games (that was part of their argument, anyhow). However, at that time the government wasn't getting a cut of the action. Guess as long as they're getting their share of the pie, they can afford to look the … more ›