First casino opens, but Anne Arundel slots in limbo

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Gov. Martin O’Malley pulled the ceremonial first slots lever Sept. 30 at the grand opening of Maryland’s first casino, 3 days after Hollywood Casino Perryville’s 1,500 slots opened for business.

A second casino with 750 slots is slated to open in December at Ocean Downs, in Worcester County.

But Maryland’s most lucrative slots site, of the five approved for slots in a 2008 statewide referendum, is stuck in a electoral battle in Anne Arundel County. A county referendum — called Question A — on Nov. 2 will determine whether the casino proposed being built near Arundel Mills mall, licensed for 4,750 machines, gets the go-ahead or the boot.

“It’s the No. 1 proposal for funding vital services like fire and police, and the education trust fund,” said Todd Lamb, the campaign manager for Jobs and Revenue for Anne Arundel County, a pro-slots group. “There is no road map for bringing revenue to our county without going forward with Question A.”