Baltimore Mayor Justifies Support of Poker
Written by Matt W | Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
The mayor of Baltimore in the sate of Maryland has spoken out in support of poker and other table games. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said that there was no difference between playing poker and playing slot games, and she supported the introduction of the former to the state.
The mayor was attending a meeting in Baltimore before the weekend, along with other state lawmakers to discuss the matter of introducing table games in Maryland.
Plans have been put forward to create a gambling parlor in Baltimore and Rawlings-Blake said that poker games offered in such a parlor would make the location attractive and competitive.
A state commission recommended last month that Maryland lawmakers consider the approval of poker and other games, following the fact that neighboring states have already approved them. The commission, which licenses slot machines in the state, said that if Maryland lags behind in offering gamblers a wider range of choice, they will simply cross the border and play at neighboring casinos.
The mayor said on Friday that she saw “little difference” between poker and slots – since both of them helped the city of Baltimore and the greater state with increased revenue.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake said at the meeting that she wanted to “hear from people” about the issue of legalized poker games in the state, and said that it did not trouble her that introducing poker and table risks had the possibility of bringing with them other costs such as problem gambling assistance.
“I’m not fighting internally about whether or not table games are a good or bad thing for the city,” Rawlings-Blake said. “I think the revenue will help us be more competitive.”
Another woman adding her opinion to Rawlings-Blake’s is former mayor, Sheila Dixon who said in the meeting that she could not understand why Maryland had not yet approved poker. “People are not going to just want the slots,” she said.
House Speaker, Michael E. Busch, however, said that he first wanted to implement the approved slot machine program before making adjustments. “We have not gotten a nickel out of a slot machine yet,” he said. “Before we talk about expanding, we ought to have the opportunity to complete the licensing process.”
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· Written by Matt W · Filed Under Poker Gossip · Comments Off
