Slot Machines on Water

Maryland may have come up with a solution for all of their residents who don’t want slot machines in their neighborhoods – they could put them on the river instead. The Maryland Vessel Gaming Act would allow for sixteen boats, each carrying a minimum of 400 passengers, to have slot machines and gambling on board – on the river.

The boats can not be longer than 150 feet, but can carry up to 15,500 slot machines. It would be up to the individual counties as to whether or not they allowed the boats to dock in their town. The boat operators would have to own a gaming license, but they could only hold one. After the slot machine revenue is paid out to winners, the owners of the boats would keep 80%.

The state would take the remaining 20% to regulate the boats as well as support the schools. The public schools in counties that allow the boats to dock would be the beneficiaries of the revenue, and some would go towards the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund as well. Many states already allow riverboat gambling, but for a state who has been on the fence about allowing slot machines on their soil this could be the perfect compromise.

This is not the first time that a riverboat bill has come before the General Assembly; it is just the longest they have lasted. Normally they are voted down before they an get this far, so supporters say that this is a good sign that it might get approved.




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