Thomas Perez is a lucky man. Gov. Martin O?Malley last week ordered the secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to gamble his way through Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Can we go? Talk about a fun government junket. The difference with this one is that it could really pay off for Marylanders.
To be serious, O?Malley didn?t really ask Perez to gamble. He asked him to review how those states implemented slots and how they regulate them. What a great idea.
Maybe this fact-finding mission will move the discussion about slots away from philosophical extremes to concrete reality. That?s where it needs to go. Gambling is entertainment ? like movies, music and theme parks. The only difference is that the latter can be taxed and the former now generates zero revenue for Maryland. In fact, prohibiting slots actually loses money for Maryland because people who enjoy them not only gamble in neighboring states, they spend money in hotels, restaurants and numerous other venues outside the state.
Those who morally oppose them do not have to play them ? just as those who disapprove of violence, nudity or sexually explicit material in some movies don?t have to buy a ticket to see them. The only difference is that those who oppose certain movies can?t prohibit their existence as opponents of slots do.
Excluding slots ? and the hundreds of millions in revenue they are estimated to generate ? makes no fiscal sense. The state faces a $1.5 billion “structural” deficit next year. With a General Assembly incapable of cutting spending, slots could provide a welcome source of funding to replace raising taxes. They could also help to revive Maryland?s ailing $1 billion horse racing industry, which employs an estimated 18,000 and increasingly can?t compete with racetracks offering slots in neighboring states.
The timing of Perez?s summer trips means he will have plenty of time to discuss his findings with legislators prior to their return to session next year. They would serve Maryland and common sense by crafting legislation to legalize them in the next session. Refusing to yet again only means adding to the deficit and taking the moral high ground where none exists.
