Slots Money for Horses?

I understand the financial distress the horse industry in Maryland finds itself in, but I am hard pressed to understand why the state's racetrack operators believe they are entitled to any slot machine revenue if the devices are made legal [Metro, Aug. 15].

The fact that people attend races and participate in parimutuel gambling there does not mean racetracks have some claim on any other gambling taking place in the state.

Canadian-based Magna Entertainment owns a half interest in the major Maryland tracks, and the DeFrancis family owns the other half. If they wanted to save Maryland horse racing, they could reach into their deep pockets and do so.

Instead, millionaire owners and corporate bigwigs will likely reap huge profits from these machines while claiming to "save" the state's horse racing industry. If the state wants to play fair when legalizing slots, then it should set up a gaming commission and let all the legal business entities in Maryland apply for licenses to operate the machines in their establishments, based on customer demand, clientele, zoning and the appropriateness of the machines for their business.

THOM ROBINSON

Montgomery Village