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Md. Slots Money Race No Contest
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Both Magna and Rickman had initially expressed reluctance to contribute to the campaign, citing uncertainties in the licensing process and early poll numbers showing a comfortable majority of Marylanders supporting the measure. Some more recent polls have suggested erosion of that support.
Penn National, a Pennsylvania-based company that is angling to operate the Cecil County slots site, donated $1 million to the pro-slots group. Penn National owns and operates 19 gaming and horse-racing facilities in the United States and Canada.
Other contributions disclosed by the pro-slots group included $300,000 from the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and $25,000 from the Maryland Horse Breeders Association, as well as $100,000 from the Nevada-based Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers and $50,000 from International Gaming Technology, also based in Nevada.
Legislative analysts estimate that slots could raise more than $600 million a year for the state once all 15,000 machines are operational. Other proceeds would be used to subsidize the horse-racing industry, a practice in several surrounding states.
Aaron Meisner, chairman of StopSlotsMaryland, questioned why pro-slots forces were spending so much money on an issue its leaders have described as a "no-brainer," given the state's budget problems.
"If this is so great for Maryland, why is it so expensive to get it done?" Meisner asked.
Still, the money raised by both sides appears to be falling well shy of predictions made months ago by some analysts who said donations could rival those of a statewide campaign.
In the 2006 governor's contest, the two leading candidates, O'Malley and incumbent Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), together raised more than $30 million.
The reports due yesterday were the first of only two glimpses the public will get at who is paying for the slots campaign.
Ballot-issue committees are required to file a second report on their financial activities Oct. 24. Money spent and raised during the campaign's final two weeks does not need to be disclosed until after the election.
Any independent groups that become active in the final stages of the campaign will not be required to report their financial activity until after the election either.
The only such group to register with the state in recent weeks is a union that represents service-sector workers.
A spokeswoman for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board of UNITE HERE, which is supporting the measure, said it was only getting organized and would report few donations or expenditures.
