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Although the track is considered the leading option for Worcester slots, a license is not guaranteed. Other investors have begun exploring bids using largely undeveloped parcels in the one-mile radius.
Meanwhile, Penn National Gaming, a Pennsylvania-based casino operator, remains interested in the Cecil site, said Eric Schippers, the company's vice president for public affairs.
Schippers said yesterday that the share of proceeds earmarked for operators in Maryland is relatively low but that his company is partnering with another party to build other attractions in the area that could make the project viable.
House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), who has opposed slots in the past, said the low revenue share for operators "probably will scare some people off."
Although he expects bidders for the larger, more lucrative sites, including Anne Arundel and Baltimore, Busch said, the Allegany site could be a problem. That site is defined in the law as adjacent to the state-financed Rocky Gap Lodge.
If bidders do not come forward, the legislature could adjust the distribution of proceeds to make individual sites more attractive. O'Malley and state Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said yesterday that they are hopeful that will not happen.
Before bid solicitations can begin, O'Malley and legislative leaders are required to appoint a seven-member commission to review the proposals.
Given the value of the licenses, Miller said, it is important that appointees are of "impeccable character." He said he expects to work with O'Malley and Busch to vet the nominees.
The law also calls for expanding the Lottery Commission, which will oversee slots sites once they are established, from five to nine members. The governor must appoint the additional members.
There are other obstacles to all five facilities opening by 2011 as anticipated.
Slots venues will have to comply with local zoning laws, which could be an issue in some jurisdictions. Some Anne Arundel politicians, for example, have said that they envision a fight over slots in their county. The Anne Arundel site is the largest, and probably the most lucrative, of the five locations.
