For months now Anne Arundel Countin in Maryland has struggled with the issue of slots. Slots are highly popular in the world today and since the late 1800s the game has brought in millions of players. It began as an unassuming game that drew consistent numbers and has elevated to the point where it provides over 60% of land-based casinos’ revenues. A new study proved how lucrative the games are and for that reason, casinos everywhere are focused on maintaining a heftier number of games to bring in as much revenue as possible.

Now, states are jumping on the bandwagon. State legislators have seen how profitable the games are and are now trying to bring them into their legislature to increase revenues. The recession was very hard on the US and most states were left with huge deficits, huge expense and no way to overcome them. The states are hard-pressed to find more ways of generating revenue and slots is a viable option.  The issue comes in however with trying to get the approval for the machines. The side are staunchly drawn– on one side some legislators are trying to legalize slots to bring in millions of tax-revenue dollars, and on the other side legislators are worried that bringing in slots creates additional problems. Opponents believe that slots and gambling in general, will inevitably bring a rise in corruption, money laundering, addictions and crime. Without the added police and watchdog force to manage it, it could mean sheer disaster for communites throughout the US.

The fight has been going on now for months and Maryland is one state that has joined in on the debates. The state’s Anne Arundel County has more issues now with gambling and legalizing slot machines. A coalition against slot machine gambling near a popular shopping mall has submitted thousands of additional signatures to force a vote on the proposal. The coalition, which includes community groups and the Maryland Jockey Club, says it delivered 16,702 signatures to the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections on Friday. Opponents need 18,790 signatures to put a zoning measure needed for the project near Arundel Mills Mall on the November ballot. The elections board already has verified 13,136 signatures. Cordish Company, the builder of the casino, filed a lawsuit last month against the board of elections claiming that it is overlooking fraud in the petition drive. In the next few months the issue will play out but only time will tell if Anne Arundel county finally brings in slot machines.

Maryland has long pined for slot machines. The industry as a whole has proven lucrative and has single-handedly gotten more than a few land-based casinos through the recession. Industry insiders know that the the slots market has proven to be a lifesaver for more than a few businesses. As of late, the debate over slots has gotten heated due to huge deficits state governments are under. Most states are still trying to recover from the overwhelming heat of the economic downturn of 2007/2008. They are making changes, but recovery is coming much slower than hoped by experts.

Now Maryland has officially made the push for slots to come into the state. Formerly there have been many problems with bringing slots to the economy and the loss of revenue has made a sutstantial dent in the money owed. The reality for the state is that every month they don’t have slot machine gambling, they are losing millions of dollars. Things are about to change though because has finally approved a slot machine commission license for a site in Anne Arundel County. The proposal has to get local zoning approval, but the move brings slots gambling closer to a reality than it has been thus far. Zoning approval is the only thing that conceivable cold still hold up the process, but legislators are hopeful that it won’t be a holdup and slots will be able to come into the state’s funding. If they do get thorugh the approval process, the largest slot machine facility in the state will be constructed in Anne Arundel County.

A former vote showed that people are in support of bringing slots to the state but Anne Arundel County was not on the table when voting took place. Now that it is the number one location of the slots parlor, people are concerned about potential problems in the area. They are worried that traffic is already too congested and an addition slots facility will only continue to put a strain on the community. They also cite the potential additional problems with crime and corruption. So far the state has already approved the location and will be bringing in an initial 4,750 slot machines. That will make it the biggest facility in the state and hopefully will bring in huge funds to help defray the deficit. If the  zoning laws approve the faclity it could be open by December 2011.

A 1,500 slot machine casino facility in Cecil County has received the approval of a state committee and could open to the public within a year. But state slot machine decision makers expressed their frustration and impatience with two other planned slots facilities in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County, demanding immediate action within two months. Penn Cecil Maryland Incorporated, a gaming venture led by Penn National Gaming Incorporated, is constructing a $78 million slots facility in Perryville. It is estimated to employ 320 individuals and produce $170 million in total revenue by 2015. The slots parlor is the second one to receive approval in Maryland.

The Maryland Video Lottery Terminal Location Commission awarded Ocean Downs racetrack approval to bring 600 additional slot machines in. Proposals for slots in other areas, Baltimore and the Arundel Mills Mall are still awaiting the go. Baltimore City Entertainment Group has proposed a 3,750 slot machine parlor near the Mandt Bank Stadium, however it still needs state approval. The original proposal called for 500 slot machines to be delivered, but a more aggressive plan is now underway.

Commission chairman Donald D. Fry, also CEO of the Greater Baltimore committee, requested that local governments work on the slots proposal prior to December 17^th of this year. That is the date of the next board meeting.

The commission stopped short of releasing an ultimatum but said that it may write an official letter to announce its determination. The Baltimore Board of Estimates also approved a land lease for a slots facility near Mandt Bank stadium. Overall everyone in the industry knows how lucrative slot machine parlors are and they are all trying to bring in as much tax revenue dollars as possible. In today’s economy finding additional revenue is one of the most important priorities on everyone’s agenda. Despite challenges, the industry knows that slot machines pay off. Las Vegas recently reported that about 60% of its revenues come from the slots floor. With the huge variety of slots, casino managers can easily keep the games fresh and new for gamblers to enjoy. Cecil County, Penn National and Anne Arundel County are all hoping to capitalize on the slots market and bring huge funds into their economies.