Bill to extend bingo machines passes House

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

The House of Delegates last week overwhelmingly approved legislation to extend by two years the date that businesses in Anne Arundel and Calvert counties must remove the electronic devices that closely resemble slot machines.

The General Assembly last year banned electronic bingo machines that proliferated across the state — particularly in St. Mary's County — amid concerns that they were cannibalizing state lottery revenues and putting too much money into private hands, even though nonprofit organizations received a portion of the proceeds. The law required all businesses to shut the machines down by June 30.

Businesses in Chesapeake Beach that have long housed pull-tab machines argued that they were unjustly caught up in the effort to ban the unregulated machines and to protect last year's referendum on slot machines. This year, lawmakers from Anne Arundel and Calvert counties sponsored a bill to exempt their establishments from the prohibition until June 2011.

"I'm just trying to save the legal businesses that were caught up with the illegal businesses last year," said Del. Sue Kullen (D-Calvert).

Delegates passed the bill on a 127 to 8 vote on Thursday after successfully arguing that the exemption would pump $7 million a year into state coffers and save dozens of jobs.

The bill now moves to the Senate, which led the fight to ban electronic machines last year, but now appears likely to embrace the exemption. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert, Prince George's) is a close ally of Gerald Donovan, the owner of Rod ‘N' Reel Restaurant, one of the businesses impacted by the prohibition.

The eight dissenting delegates had different reasons for opposing the measure.

Del. John F. Wood Jr. (D-St. Mary's, Charles) still harbors resentment that his home county was forced to give up the electronic machines, even though they assisted nonprofit groups that relied on the funds. Some of those organizations are facing closure as donations have dried up, he said.

"Why [are] Anne Arundel and Calvert special when we can't have them in our county and why should I support them in other counties?" said Wood.

A pair of Baltimore County lawmakers voted against the bill because one of their constituents owns a business that supplied machines to sites in St. Mary's County prior to the ban.

And several ardent gambling foes from Montgomery and Prince George's counties also opposed the legislation.

"I just see this as a backdoor way [to gamble] until they see the slots activated," said Del. Karen S. Montgomery (D-Montgomery), who said she rarely votes against local bills that don't affect her district.

But Kullen said the businesses that have operated electronic bingo machines for years should be allowed to continue doing so, at least until slots are implemented in 2011. She said the three venues in Anne Arundel County would be more greatly impacted than businesses in Calvert because it appears a slots parlor will be built at Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, which is nearly 50 miles from Chesapeake Beach.

Although it would require new legislation to give the pull-tab machines permanent amnesty, Kullen said she would consider doing so if requested by local entrepreneurs.

"Some people already are saying these businesses will go out of business once the state gets slots," she said. "I'm not convinced of that. If these businesses want to continue to fight, I will continue to fight for them."

abrody@somdnews.com