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.

NOW THEY want to ruin the Maryland State Fairgrounds with thousands of slot machines. The worst part is, they want to scrap the annual events -- your bass show, your recreational-type vehicle show, your model-train show, your gem-and-jewelry show -- and go with a year-round, smoke-filled hall of degenerate gamblers who will sit on stools in stretch pants, slip coins into slot machines all day, then panhandle for change on York Road. Good morning, Timonium! "I think that the community and Baltimore County can benefit from having a [slots]

Former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a longtime slots advocate whose repeated failure to pass a gambling proposal defined his four-year term, indicated yesterday that he planned to vote against a slots referendum on the November ballot. Ehrlich, a Republican, said he opposed altering the state constitution to allow slots, an approach he said he rejected while in office. An estimated $600 million in revenue from 15,000 slot machines would fuel what Ehrlich called unrestrained government spending.

A Carroll County circuit judge has set aside last year's conviction of a New Windsor restaurant and bar owner for allowing illegal slot machines at his establishment.Judge Luke K. Burns Jr. granted probation before judgment yesterday to Henry F. "Fred" Ross Jr., owner of New Windsor Inn. The judge ordered Ross to perform 50 hours of community service and placed him on three years' probation.Ross, 50, was fined $2,000 in December for possession of two electronic video slot machines that had been rigged to allow payoffs, court records show.

Two Anne Arundel County councilmen joined a statewide campaign yesterday urging residents to vote against a November referendum to legalize slot machines, saying that expanded gambling at Laurel Park would have a devastating impact on quality of life in the county. Democratic Councilmen Joshua J. Cohen of Annapolis and G. James Benoit of Crownsville were part of the third stop on a statewide tour organized by Marylanders United to Stop Slots, a group launched in April that counts Comptroller Peter Franchot and other prominent elected officials as its chief backers.

It took three days, but Anne Arundel County police finally finished counting the thousands of quarters recovered in weekend raids that brought in 12 illegal slot machines from seven bars and a pool hall.Police recovered $3,367.75 (13,471 quarters) during Saturday raids in Pasadena, Glen Burnie, Odenton and Laurel.The owners have 30 days to prove that their machines were not used for gambling. Otherwise, the machines will "be flattened with a bulldozer," said a police spokesman.Police confiscated machines at:* Captain Buck's in the 8100 block of Fort Smallwood Road -- one machine and $462.

State legislators from Harford County plan, yet again, to propose a bill this year that would allow fraternal organizations to have slot machines in their clubs as a way to raise money. A lot of money. The bill is already being touted with the usual fanfare, wrapped in the red, white and blue of veterans clubs just trying to raise a littlecoin so they can keep their clubs up to par and help local charitiesin need. If this year's rendition of this old song is similar to the failed ones of the past three years, half the money taken in from the machines would have to be used for "the benefit of charity."

A Baltimore County lawmaker is proposing slot-machine gambling at Maryland's major airport, but Gov. Martin O'Malley called the casino a "bad idea," limiting its chances at a time of slots-related buyer's remorse in Annapolis. Del. Eric M. Bromwell's House Bill 777 - the airplane-related number is a coincidence - would add Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to the list of locations for the casino licenses approved by voters last year. The bill, co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 11 Baltimore County and city lawmakers, would allow 3,000 slots in the terminal area.

Video poker and slot machines would be legalized in Harford County under two bills to be introduced this week in the General Assembly by Sen. William H. Amoss, D-District 35A.Amoss said he will introduce tomorrow a bill which would allow establishments with liquor licenses -- such as bars and private clubs -- to have two video poker computer machines on the premises for entertainment. The game is played byhitting a button to stop cards flashing across a screen.A second bill he plans to propose would legalize the use of slot machines only in private, non-profit clubs -- such as American Legionor VFW posts.

IF WE'RE going to legalize slot machines in Maryland -- and I'll bet you my Aunt Sadie's lovely rococo mirror we are -- then why are we getting a lot of sticky-fingered middlemen involved? I strongly dislike the middleman. Every American does. The middleman costs us money. Most people spend their lives trying to get rid of him. All the time you hear people talking like Tony Soprano about whacking the guy: "Let's eliminate the middleman." So, you got my drift. In the case of slot machines, the middlemen are the guys in nice suits circling over Maryland right now, looking to dive down and snatch an exclusive piece of the action.