Casino Gambling

GOV. PARRIS N. Glendening's veto of a bill that might have allowed casino gambling in Maryland shows again that good politics can be good government. His action helps keep this state casino-free and avoids undermining the credibility of recently stated opposition from Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, who is running to succeed him. Both have vociferously opposed more gambling in the state. The bill Mr. Glendening vetoed was designed to accelerate the process by which Native Americans seek tribal recognition.

OXON HILL - As bulldozers clear trees along the Potomac River to prepare for a $1.5 billion commercial hotel and entertainment complex known as National Harbor, some nearby residents are calling it a "stealth project" tied to future casino gambling. The developers and the project's first major tenant insist that isn't the case, but some residents who are opposed to the project because of its impact on their neighborhoods argue that gambling is the only logical explanation for the huge investment there.

PLACE YOUR bets. That's the new rallying cry in Annapolis - at least for the State House lobbying corps who see a potentially huge payoff coming in the next few years. We're talking, of course, about casino-style gambling. Back in the mid-1990s, when it looked as if Maryland might take the plunge into the world of blackjack and slot machines, casino companies hired just about every big-name lobbyist in the capital. The companies even attempted to carve up the state. One company sent a representative to Cumberland while others sent troops to Cambridge, Cecil County and downtown Baltimore.

Starr has gone but his grin remains.Forget Buchanan. Trump for president! Casino gambling in the White House, 80-story condominiums on the Mall. Long overdue!If they must take down the last surviving Liberty Tree at St. John's College in Annapolis, they at least ought to do it on the last day of the millennium.Russia 1, Chechnya 0. Chechnya wins.

GLOUCESTER, Mass. -- Massachusetts law is clear when it comes to casino gambling: It's prohibited.And yet, smack in the middle of this historic harbor -- where boats are judged by how wave-beaten they are and men are judged by how many pounds of fish they haul to shore -- sits the Vegas Express. It's a flashy-looking creature with carpeting, a dance floor and "Wacky Winner" and "777 Blazing" slot machines.Here is one casino industry answer to gambling restrictions: a floating casino. These boats carry blackjack tables, slots and gamblers with trusty sea legs three miles into international waters, where the casino companies believe their recreation is not subject to state jurisdiction.

If Baltimore must have casino gambling, they should put it on the toxic Allied Signal site.New Hampshire folks are entitled to privacy except in an election year, which this is not. Outsiders should leave the state now and return next year.Cheer up. Wagering increased dramatically at Pimlico this year.Leave it to Councilman O'Malley to seize a passing opportunity by the throat.Pub Date: 6/23/99

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court passed up a chance yesterday to expand the constitutional right to advertise, but it did overturn restrictions on advertising by private gambling casinos.By a unanimous vote, the court struck down a federal law that prohibits radio and TV advertising by privately owned casinos. Currently, those casinos are legal in 11 states.The case had been closely watched for signs that the court might give advertising and other forms of "commercial speech" added protection under the First Amendment.

The Baltimore Homeowners Coalition is using radio advertisements to criticize a city tax break for new hotels.The taxpayers group said the measure will open the door for casino gambling.During the next week, the City Council is expected to grant an estimated $75 million property tax break over 25 years to developers of the Wyndham hotel being built at President and Fleet streets in Inner Harbor East.The homeowners group contends that state law permitting the tax break also would allow the Wyndham hotel's owners, including chief partner H&S Bakery mogul John Paterakis Sr., to add casino gambling if the state ban is lifted.

Almost four years after a Maryland Indian tribe asked the state for recognition, the tribe's petition appears close to reaching Gov. Parris N. Glendening for a decision -- stirring questions about the identity of its members and their intentions.Leaders of the Piscataway-Conoy Confederacy and Subtribes (PCCS) say state recognition is a long overdue matter of pride and would benefit members by allowing them to tap federal grants for educational, cultural and economic development programs.But a competing tribal group, the Piscataway Indian Nation, contends the PCCS is angling for casino gambling and is pursuing state recognition as a step toward that goal.

A leading anti-gambling organization said yesterday that it has won promises from a prospective majority of the Maryland Senate to oppose the legalization of slot machines at Maryland racetracks.NOcasiNO, a church-affiliated opponent of slots, said it has gathered signed pledges from the "certain or almost-certain" winners in 24 of the 47 senatorial districts. In many districts, both candidates signed.The group claimed that three other senators have given strong verbal commitments to oppose any expansion of casino gambling but have personal policies against signing written pledges.