Maryland voters approved legalizing slot machines Tuesday in a constitutional amendment, approving the referendum question to place 15,000 machines at five locations, two of which are in Laurel and Baltimore City.
“It just shows our message has gotten out to the people: We need to bring in the $400 million Maryland spends out of state,” said Fred Puddester, director of the pro-slots group For Maryland, For Our Future.
The multimillion dollar campaign of selling slots as a way to fund education and stave off budget cuts by bringing in an estimated $1.3 billion appears to have worked. More than 59 percent of Maryland voters approved.
Many of the polling places, including the five closest to Laurel Park race track, were blanketed with signs telling voters to vote “yes” for slots.
Crystal Repman believes slot machines would bring some crime and gambling problems to her Maryland City neighborhood, which is within walking distance of Laurel Park.
But a fear of economic ruin that could come without new revenue led her to support legalizing slots in hopes of bringing millions of dollars to Maryland.
“What about money for our schools and highways,” said Repman, 32. “You have to take the good with the bad.”
But those who voted against slots said revenue numbers were exaggerated and will not be the state’s fiscal savior.
“The state should be figuring out how to [solve the debt], not the voters and not through slots. This hasn’t solved anything,” said Abraham Greenstein, 27, of Baltimore.
The debate boiled down to the need to pass slots to fund education, avoid tax hikes and save the horse industry, versus the need to thwart slots to avoid gambling addictions, added infrastructure costs and addressing slots through a referendum question.
Comptroller Peter Franchot, who championed the anti-slots cause, was steadfast in his belief that the question would fail during his news conference at the Red Star Grill in Fells Point. Though he would not concede at the event, Franchot said there was at least a moral victory in the election.
“Voters have shown they will stand up and take a stand against political interests to defend Maryland values,” Franchot said.
But many are concerned about the social ills that can come with gambling, though the revenue is supposed to help fund gambling addiction services.
“I lived in places where they have slots, and you can see how they take advantage of poorer people, and you’re going to see the same thing here,” said Tara Mathews, 25, of Baltimore.
Aleksandra Robinson contributed to this report.
