The Regular Person’s Guide to the

Maryland Slot Machine Referendum

Introduction

On November 4, 2008, Marylanders will vote on a state constitutional amendment to allow slot machine gaming at five locations across the state.  If approved, the state would license 15,000 slot machines, with projected revenue to the state of $660 million annually when fully implemented.  The Governor and legislative leaders are relying on this revenue in their plans to balance Maryland’s budget over the long term.

Regular persons face a barrage of conflicting and confusing messages from proponents and opponents.  Many of these claims are exaggerated, presented in misleading ways, or taken out of context.

In this guide, the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute helps regular persons to cut through the confusion. We have not taken a position for or against the referendum. We describe in plain language the specifics of the proposal, and how it fits into the state’s financial picture.  We critically examine each of the major issues in the public debate.  In each case, the claims of both sides will be summarized.  The issue will be framed in the context of Maryland’s particular situation.  The evidence for all the competing claims will be summarized, drawing on the research literature and on the experience of other jurisdictions.

Details of the Maryland Slot Machine Proposal>>

Assessments of proponents' and opponents' claims>>

Download the full report in PDF format>>

The Regular Person’s Guide to the Maryland Slot Machine Referendum was researched and written by Branden McLeod and Neil Bergsman. Alison Dodge and Paul Rihani designed and laid out the Web version. Alison Dodge designed and laid out the print version.

About the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute>>