Slot Machines

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.

Maryland lawmakers are grappling with a $1.7 million deficit, and the debate over slot machines has once again begun to stir emotions in Annapolis. Those opposed to slot machines will not sit down without a fight - and they shouldn't. At the heart of all good government is robust, healthy debate. This past summer, Gov. Martin O'Malley dispatched me to racetracks in Delaware, West Virginia and Pennsylvania to examine how slots have affected horse racing.

Gambling is a menace to society, and make no mistake about it: If slot machine gambling is legalized in Maryland, casinos will soon follow. This would be deadly to the best interest of the moral, social, economic and spiritual life of any community. It is also harmful to good government. The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Baltimore and Vicinity has historically opposed all forms of state-sponsored gambling. We should not allow Maryland to continue to encourage its citizens to engage in pathological, addictive behavior.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's announcement that he will push for legalized slot machine gambling to help solve Maryland's budget woes was short on specifics, but he gave clues to his thinking that suggest he is exploring a slots program that would be similar to Delaware's. While O'Malley said he favors "state ownership" of slot machines, that doesn't mean the state would build facilities and hire contractors to run them. Maryland could, like Delaware, lease slot machines from vendors, link them to a central computer through the state's lottery and place the devices in privately run racetracks or other facilities.

Plans for a November referendum on legalizing slot machines collapsed yesterday after a hectic day of closed-door meetings and political posturing that ended with allies of Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Democratic House Speaker Michael E. Busch trading charges of bad-faith negotiating. "It's done, done, done, done, done," Ehrlich declared during an evening meeting with reporters in the governor's mansion. "I told you all not to get your hopes up." Ehrlich's comments came shortly after House Democrats emerged from a private session declaring that they had the 85 votes needed to pass a bill to put the referendum on the ballot - assuming Ehrlich could persuade 35 Republicans to sign on. Democrats said they wanted the governor to negotiate on the final form of a bill to face voter approval, and they would deliver the votes to pass it. "We have the votes to bring this to referendum," Busch said.

Dreaming of Lady Luck, volunteer firefighters and fraternal groups asked Maryland lawmakers to legalize Las Vegas-style games and slot machines in Anne Arundel County.But they got a tepid response from county lawmakers, some of whom say they remember all too well the days when slot machines and "casino nights" tarnished the county's family-oriented reputation.The firefighters want casino games to help raise money to purchase fire engines and other emergency equipment. The fraternal groups have asked for the slot machines -- which their Eastern Shore counterparts already use legally -- to support their charitable activities.

Albert Eckardt placed an ad in the Pennysaver announcing slot machines for sale, hoping to get a few calls from prospective buyers. Instead, he got the police. Last week, three undercover county police detectives showed up at his Crownsville home under the guise of replying to his ad. They looked at the five machines Eckardt was selling for $450 each. When Eckardt asked how many they wanted, one of the officers replied that he'd take all of them. "The next thing I knew, he whipped his badge out," said Eckardt, recounting the visit.

The Hollywood Greyhound Track in nearby Hallandale Beach used to be a no-frills pari-mutuel facility frequented by PETA-unfriendly gambling degenerates and handsome out-of-town sportswriters, but not anymore. Through the miracle of slots legislation, it has been transformed into the Mardi Gras Racetrack and Gaming Center, complete with hundreds of slot machines, scores of simulcast screens, dozens of poker tables and - oh, yeah - the occasional dog race. I liked it better before. There was something refreshingly sleazy about the place before all the plastic and neon was installed.

Looking to generate public support, and perhaps tweak the outcome of the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election, the state's two leading thoroughbred tracks have begun airing television commercials touting the legalization of slot machines in Maryland.The owners of Pimlico and Laurel race courses launched the advertising campaign on Baltimore and Washington stations this week to focus the public's attention on the slot-machine issue, said Joseph A. De Francis, majority owner of the two tracks.The racing industry is pushing to bring slots to Maryland to allow state tracks to compete with those in Delaware and West Virginia, which have the devices and are generating huge sums for race purses and track owners.