Arundel Casino Battle Begins In Maryland With Signature Collections

Residents in the state of Maryland are preparing for what could be a lengthy battle between groups that want a casino built in Anne Arundel County, and those who do not. The two opposing groups are both setting out to gain public support.

The pro-gambling group, which is being led by the Cordish Company, the developer looking to build the casino adjacent to the Arundel Mills mall. They have already won the support of the majority of voters, but that does not mean there is not a group trying to stop them.

The anti-gambling group Stop Slots at Arundel Mills has already tried to collect signatures to stop the casino, but their efforts fell far short. Now, the anti-gambling groups are going back to work, and they hope they can secure over 19,000 signatures.

in order to get a question on the ballot to keep the casino out of the area, the anti-gambling group must secure one-tenth of the 189,150 votes that were cast in the 2006 gubernatorial election. Considering that Stop Slots at Arundel Mills collected just over 4,500 in their last attempt, the prospects do not look good.

This past week, zoning was approved for the new casino, which lit the competitive fire on the issue once again. The casino expansion is part of five voter-approved locations for casinos in Maryland in last year's election.

Maryland is one of a handful of states i the Northeast that has been considering casino expansion. Pennsylvania has gone as far as to be on the cusp of legalizing table games at state casinos, which would be a major blow to the already struggling Atlantic City casino industry.

December 25, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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