Slot Machines

Gambling started Wednesday afternoon at the Rocky Gap Casino Resort right after the state approved the opening of its fourth casino, one that Western Maryland leaders hope will lure not only gamblers but also their families to a region eager for more tourist dollars. "It's open and jamming," said Scott Just, the general manager of the resort near Cumberland. "There's a couple hundred people in there. They were pressing up against the ropes. " The $35 million casino, located in what was the lakeside golf resort's conference center, will be open around the clock.

Henceforth, let there by a rule that nothing can be compared to Maryland's failed investment at Rocky Gap, located just outside Cumberland in Western Maryland, except for Rocky Gap and perhaps any other $55 million white elephant loss that comes along. We know Rocky Gap. Rocky Gap is an acquaintance of ours. Sorry, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay resort in Cambridge, but you're no Rocky Gap. Incidentally, let us insert a reminder here. Even the infamous Rocky Gap hotel and conference center isn't Rocky Gap anymore.

Americans love one-armed bandits. Since the late 19th century, the country's favorite gambling device has been the slot machine, with its spinning cherries, oranges, plums, bars and losing lemons.But it has been a rocky romance because slots have faced decades of implacable opposition from state authorities and eventually from Congress.Each time authorities imposed new restrictions -- and newspapers carried dramatic photos of police smashing machines with mauls -- slot machine manufacturers dreamed up a scheme to beat it.Anne Arundel County businessman Steve Cohen has amassed a collection that shows some of the ingenious methods they adopted.

Gambling started Wednesday afternoon at the Rocky Gap Casino Resort right after the state approved the opening of its fourth casino, one that Western Maryland leaders hope will lure not only gamblers but also their families to a region eager for more tourist dollars. "It's open and jamming," said Scott Just, the general manager of the resort near Cumberland. "There's a couple hundred people in there. They were pressing up against the ropes. " The $35 million casino, located in what was the lakeside golf resort's conference center, will be open around the clock.

Hoping to turn around the struggling resort, Maryland's slots location committee awarded a license Thursday for a casino at Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort in Allegany County. The Video Lottery Facility Location Commission voted unanimously to issue the license to Evitts Resort LLC, the sole remaining applicant after the panel eliminated a group led by former Democratic Party Chairman Nathan Landow in January. The license is contingent on Evitts getting construction financing, but company officials do not expect that to be a problem.

Even as the General Assembly prepares to return to Annapolis this week to discuss the expansion of gambling, one of Maryland's three casinos has asked its oversight agency to take back about a third of the slot machines because of declining revenue. Penn National Gaming Inc., which operates Hollywood Casino Perryville, is "prepared to unconditionally return between 400 and 500 of our machines to the State, without any expectation of a licensee fee refund or any right to reclaim those machines," wrote Carl Sottosanti, a Penn National vice president, in a letter last week to the Maryland Lottery's director.

The state's spending panel voted Wednesday to approve a $32.7 million contract for slot machines for the planned Eastern Shore casino, again over the objections of Comptroller Peter Franchot. Gov. Martin O'Malley and Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp outvoted Franchot at the Board of Public Works meeting. Franchot, who opposes slot machine gambling, has questioned the amount of money the state is spending on its nascent program. Though approved by voters two years ago, none of the five planned casinos is up and running.

Albert Eckardt placed a newspaper ad announcing slot machines for sale, hoping to get a few calls from prospective buyers. Instead, he got the police. Last week, three undercover Anne Arundel County police detectives showed up at his Crownsville home ostensibly in response to his ad. They looked at the five machines Eckardt was selling. "The next thing I knew, [an officer] whipped his badge out," said Eckardt, recounting the visit. Police didn't arrest Eckardt, but they took away the machines that authorities say are illegal to possess and sell.

For the fifth year in a row, Del. Eric M. Bromwell has introduced a bill to authorize slot machines at BWI Marshall Airport It's Bromwell's attempt to infuse the state treasury — specifically the Transportation Trust Fund — with gambling money, and the Baltimore County Democrat said he has no intention of giving up. "I consider this to be the ultimate alternative to a gas tax," he said. "This is exactly how we pay for roads. " The bill would authorize up to 2,500 slot machines in the airport's main terminal beyond the security screening area.

ANNAPOLIS -- Bad times have put some legislators in a gambling mood.Lawmakers from three counties -- Worcester, Harford and Baltimore County -- said yesterday that they wanted to let fraternal and other non-profit service organizations in their counties use slot machines to raise money for themselves and for charitable purposes.Before the day was out, however, the sponsors of the Baltimore County proposal -- freshmen Republican Delegates Alfred W. Redmer Jr. and James F. Ports -- withdrew their bill.

Regarding your recent report on a the bill to put slot machines at BWI airport, there are other means to generate revenues for Maryland and Anne Arundel County ("Bill to put slots at BWI returns," Feb. 5). Putting slot machines in the airport will only jeopardize airport security, increase the cost of airport security and have a bad influence on minors by exposing them to the gambling environment. It will also distract the passengers and make them miss their flights and compete with the newly opened Maryland Live Casino just miles away from BWI. Do we want to turn BWI into a mega-gambling airport like the one in Las Vegas?

Annapolis may be located on the banks of the Severn River, but during the first three months of the year it often seems to be an island - so isolated are members of the General Assembly from real life. The gyrations of lawmakers over the high-stakes issues of gambling and transportation have produced many such only-in-the-State-House moments in recent years. So, naturally, it makes sense that when the two are combined - as in an absurd proposal to install 2,500 slot machines at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport - the result is the kind of empty, pandering legislation that does the institution no credit.

For the fifth year in a row, Del. Eric M. Bromwell has introduced a bill to authorize slot machines at BWI Marshall Airport It's Bromwell's attempt to infuse the state treasury — specifically the Transportation Trust Fund — with gambling money, and the Baltimore County Democrat said he has no intention of giving up. "I consider this to be the ultimate alternative to a gas tax," he said. "This is exactly how we pay for roads. " The bill would authorize up to 2,500 slot machines in the airport's main terminal beyond the security screening area.

Maryland's three casinos generated $45.2 million in revenue in December, with most of that from the state's largest and newest casino, Maryland Live — and at the expense of the state's oldest. Last month, Maryland Live took in $35.9 million, or a daily average of $244.15 per machine, according to figures released Monday by the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. The Arundel Mills casino operates 4,750 slot machines and electronic table games. The Arundel Mills casino opened in June.

When 2 a.m. came Friday, the sound of coins hitting metal — electronically replicated, of course, since the slot machines pay out with a printed ticket — continued at Maryland Live casino. About 1,000 people stayed where they were, plugging money into the video terminals and ordering drinks. Terry Cohen of Randallstown was there to celebrate the new schedule that will keep the casino open 24 hours a day. "There's nothing to do around here at night," she said. "The town shuts down.

We need to vote for Question 7. Table games will bring jobs to our state along with money for education. Do not let the opponents fool you. The people in office took the $350 million for other projects that was education money. Casinos bring a lot of money into our state. Why is our own comptroller against gaming tables? Any tax collector in any other state would welcome the millions of dollars to be reaped from gaming tables and the slot machines. I play the slots once a year in New Jersey.

EASTON -- Despite a 15-month grand jury probe that failed to produce any criminal indictments, Maryland State Police will continue to investigate the lucrative legal slot machine activity on the Eastern Shore that last year yielded nearly $32 million in gross revenues.Gov. William Donald Schaefer and Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. said in a joint announcement yesterday that state police will use covert operations to determine if individuals or organizations are stealing proceeds from slot machines.

The commander of the Rosedale Veterans of Foreign Wars says his proposal to allow non-profit groups to offer slot machine gambling in Baltimore County promises the "greatest thing" imaginable for local charities.But law enforcement sources have their doubts, and the issue is not likely to come before the General Assembly until 1992."We do a lot of things," VFW post commander Thomas C. Rye said of his plans for profits from the slot machines.For example, he said, the post helps patients in veterans' hospitals, gives away American flags and patriotic literature, and even helps an occasional out-of-state veteran whose car breaks down on U.S. 40 nearby.

Once again, our governor and band leader, Martin O'Malley, has Marylanders dancing to his play list. Question 7, conceived at the 11th hour, sucker-punched all those people who worked honorably to allow gambling in our state. Although Governor O'Malley opposed slot machines on moral grounds during the Ehrlich administration, now he can't build slots parlors fast enough. To ensure the referendum's passage he has tied his wants to table games that everyone wants. You can't manipulate table games like you can with slots.

Patapsco Bingo in Baltimore on Thursday lost its court bid to stop city police from enforcing a ban on Internet "sweepstakes" parlors offering cash prizes on games that play like slot machines. After a Circuit Court hearing, Judge Jeffrey M. Geller denied a request by the business' operator, BBB Management Inc., for a temporary restraining order, saying the business did not show that "immediate, substantial and irreparable harm will result" to the operation before a full hearing can be held.