Audit: State lost thousands on inoperable slot machines

Maryland Lottery officials failed to collect tens of thousands of dollars from companies improperly operating state-owned slot machines, according to the first state audit of the state’s casinos. The state Office of Legislative Audits, in a review of the State Lottery Agency from March 2008 to March 2011, discovered errors in the agency’s oversight of manufacturers charged with fixing broken slot machines at casinos in Cecil and Worcester counties.

Auditors estimate that roughly $60,000 could have been charged to manufacturers who failed to fix inoperable slot machines in the required amount of time, although an exact calculation couldn’t be made because of a lack of full reports from the lottery agency.