Black billboard with gold lettering, at the intersection of Rt. 50 and Rt. 589, announces casino gambling at Ocean Downs. After many delays, the era of slot machine gambling is about to begin at Ocean Downs. The grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 4, barring last-minute hitches. The new casino needs a final certificate from… [Read more…]
May 10, 2010
Ocean City: Past, Present, Future Things are always changing and renewing. People, buildings, and towns need hard effort, just to keep from sliding backwards. We work to preserve the best, but just as often, we need to start again or tear down and build new. Sometimes we need to hold on and sometimes we need… [Read more…]
January 19, 2010
Not a single slot machine has been put in service in Maryland, and already Senate President Mike Miller is suggesting adding a casino in his home county, Prince Georges, according to reports in the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun. This is the latest development in the slots fiasco in Maryland. Voters OK’d 5 Slots Loations,… [Read more…]
October 8, 2009
It has been 11 months since the voters of Maryland decided, in last November’s referendum, to allow slot machines at five locations in the state. Here are some of the things we have learned since then: It’s feasible to jump-start a modest slot-machine operation in an out-of-the-way place, without a whole lot of nosey neighbors.… [Read more…]
September 24, 2009
It’s official. The first slot machines in Maryland will be at the Ocean Downs harness race track in Worcester County, not far from Ocean City, and near Berlin and Ocean Pines. Maryland awarded its first slots license this week to William M. Rickman, owner of Ocean Downs, paving the way for 200 600 slot machines to be open… [Read more…]
April 19, 2009
The once-a-year session of the Maryland General Assembly has been a historical curiosity for a long time. Now it is becoming a downright embarrassment. Maryland needed a Special Session, after four years of deadlock over slot machines. The Special Session brought progress — the lawmakers agreed they were unworthy to decide on slots within the… [Read more…]
February 5, 2009
Slot machines in Maryland: Fiasco of the year! Magna Entertainment, the Canadian casino operator that invaded Maryland with dollar signs in its eyes, is the big loser. Hey, nobody said playing slots was a game for the faint-hearted! Magna bought the Maryland Jockey Club and took over Pimlico Racetrack in northwest Baltimore City, and Laurel… [Read more…]
February 3, 2009
UPDATE — Statewide, bidders offer to put in 6,550 slot machines out of 15,000 possible. Cordish at Arundel Mills would be the largest — 4,750 slots at a $1 billion slots palace, in an adults-only building separate from the mall. Second largest number of slot machines would be 800 at Ocean Downs racetrack near Ocean… [Read more…]
December 30, 2008
Adam Pagnucco over at Maryland Politics Watch is gathering input to compile a list of the top ten Maryland news stories for 2008, and the top ten Montgomery County stories. He will be publishing the results in a few days. Here are Maryland On My Mind’s nominations for the top Maryland news stories of 2008:… [Read more…]
November 13, 2008
Gov. Martin O’Malley, It looks as if your legacy is going to be bringing slot machines back to Maryland. Parris Glendening refused to do it and Bob Ehrlich was unable to do it. Martin O’Malley accomplished slot machines. I know that you will have many other significant accomplishments in your remaining six years as governor.… [Read more…]
December 14, 2010
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