A new chapter opens in Maryland where the legalization of gambling is proposed. Some are skeptical about the benefits of a gaming extension. Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Stop Predatory Gambling told the Capital News Service that Maryland residents lost $3 billion in personal wealth to state government commercialized gambling in fiscal year 2022, and since casinos opened in Maryland citizens lost $23 billion in 2010, the group said.
“(The American Psychiatric Association) now defines gambling addiction on the same level as heroin, opioids and cocaine. We don’t market these products like state government gambling markets do,” said Les Bernal, national director of Stop Predatory Gambling.
“Online gambling is like fentanyl gambling, it’s like the most extreme form of all. It opens up the casino right in your bedroom so you can sit there in your pajamas and lose it all.”
The bill is still in its infancy, and members of the budget and tax committees agree that the proposal still needs to be worked through.
There are other gambling issues headed to lawmakers this year, but they’re mostly changes to existing legislation, including bills to adjust the number of machines bingo parlors can operate and a proposed senior centers in St. Mary’s County the opportunity to host games.
The latter bill, HB 263, sponsored by Del. Matt Morgan, a Republican from St. Mary’s County, allows senior activity centers in St. Mary’s County to conduct small-stakes games, such as poker or pitch, where participants can bet small sums of money. This legislation limits entry fees to $25 and a maximum of $50 per session while specifying that leftover prize money is to be used to fund future senior center programs and general gaming in the county.
Morgan also acknowledged that the recent expansion of gambling in the state means lawmakers must be vigilant but patient when it comes to the nuances of implementation.
“We came to play a little late, comparable to our neighboring states. Slots and table games came a few years later, and now we have sportsbook,” Morgan said. “We have made many changes in a short period of time. Sports betting has only recently come into the market, so you need to see how these things develop before you start making any changes.”
