Casinos Get Ready To Jump Into Maryland

05.10.2003, Lesen Sie hier den Bericht über «Casinos Get Ready To Jump Into Maryland».

National casino companies are preparing for a possible expansion into Maryland -- meeting with officials, hiring Annapolis lobbyists and scoping out sites as they assess the state's potential for gambling profits.

At least a half-dozen casino firms have taken concrete steps in recent months to position themselves for entry into the state should lawmakers expand legalized gambling. Spurred on by what they see as a favorable political climate, the companies are eyeing Maryland as a wealthy but untapped market that could lure millions of gamblers across the state line from the District, Virginia and other southern states.

Last week, Harrah's Entertainment Inc. released a survey that classified Maryland and the Washington region as two of the most "underserved" major gambling markets in the nation. The firm lamented that hundreds of thousands of Maryland gamblers trek annually to Atlantic City to play poker and Delaware to play slot machines. "Maryland residents are voting with their feet and pocketbooks for casino entertainment," said Gary Loveman, president and chief executive of Harrah's, which operates 26 casinos. "Unfortunately for them, Maryland public policy insists they cross state lines to do so." Last month, Las Vegas casino king Steve Wynn filed papers to hold a catered reception in Largo for the entire Maryland General Assembly, as well as members of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s administration, so he could personally lobby lawmakers on gambling. Wynn never held the event, which was timed to coincide with a legislative hearing about gambling in Prince George's County. But his company, Wynn Resorts, has hired three lobbyists who are circulating legislation that would authorize three full-fledged casinos in the state, as well as slot machines at racetracks.

Other major casino firms that have made contacts and are planning to visit potential gambling sites in Maryland. Casino executives declined to say where they hoped to put facilities and have so far met primarily with staff members rather than political leaders. The executives said they were cautiously optimistic that Maryland would expand gambling in some form, noting that Ehrlich (R) and several top lawmakers strongly favor the legalization of slot machines. But they added that they wanted to avoid appearing overly aggressive or to meddle in Maryland politics, for fear of prompting a backlash from anti-gambling groups. Some top lawmakers said that while slot machines are a distinct possibility, it is unlikely that the General Assembly would authorize full-blown casinos with blackjack, poker, craps and similar games.

House of Delegates Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said it would be more difficult for the state to regulate casinos and table games as opposed to just slots, which are controlled electronically. He also said casino supporters face an uphill fight in the legislature, which defeated a slots-only bill this year. "Whether you're for it or against it, it's not realistic," Busch said in a recent interview. "The dynamics of casinos is just totally different. I think it would be too much for the public and the General Assembly to swallow."

Busch, however, would not rule out the prospects for casinos completely. He and other leading lawmakers have altered their position on gambling in recent months. Last spring, for instance, Ehrlich insisted that the state confine slot machines to horse-racing tracks. Since then, he has said he would consider slots at other locations, in response to a suggestion by Busch that the state consider building publicly owned slot parlors. The Ehrlich administration also recently began a survey of large tracts of state-owned land to see whether any could be used to build slot-machine halls. Aris Melissaratos, the secretary of economic and business development, said the search is focusing on public property along interstates and near the state's borders.

Meantime, other lawmakers are becoming more vocal about their desire for casinos. Several members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which is conducting a study on gambling, said casinos are high on their agenda. Other advocates include Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.), who said he has identified a dozen properties in Prince George's County that could prove suitable for casinos. "It's a matter of political will," he said.

It's not the first time that casinos have made a major push to come to Maryland. In 1994 and 1995, several large Las Vegas companies sought to expand gambling in the state, but the attempt was shot down by then-Gov. Parris N. Glendening (D), who later adopted the slogan "No slots, no casinos, no exceptions" for the remainder of his term. Gambling opponents said they are not surprised that casino companies are once again showing a keen interest in Maryland. "This is about Las Vegas moving to Maryland," said the Rev. Tom Grey of the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion. "This is no longer about slots barns. That's why this is such a high-stakes battle." Indeed, while casino firms said they would prefer to build large, Las Vegas-style resorts in Maryland, they said they also would be interested in running slot parlors. In general, casinos generate about two-thirds of their revenue from slot machines.

Many of the companies already operate similar models in other states. There is no question that the casino industry is hungry to expand. The gambling business in established states such as Nevada and New Jersey is stagnant, with annual revenue growth in the single digits. Executives are looking for fresh territory in the mid-Atlantic region, where Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland are weighing proposals to expand gambling. "This is a big change from just a few years ago, when most of the big operators were putting their money into proven markets, like Las Vegas," Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, said in an interview last month at the start of the annual Global Gaming Summit, a major industry conference.

Über Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino:

Das Casino gehört zu Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Entertainment Inc. wurde 1937 als Harrah's gegründet und wurde 2010 in Caesars Entertainment umbenannt. Besitzer sind die Investment-Firmen Apollo Global Management, TPG Capital und The Blackstone Group.

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