Slots Supporters, Opponents Make Closing Arguments

Montgomery County residents who went to get yard signs for Sen. Barack Obama and other candidates were greeted yesterday morning by Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, who asked that they take one more sign with them. It urged a "No" vote on Tuesday's ballot measure to legalize slot machine gambling.

Slots supporters, who have enjoyed a fundraising advantage of more than 7 to 1, were making their case yesterday, too. In addition to airing TV and radio ads, the pro-slots group For Maryland For Our Future has launched an array of automated phone calls, including one featuring Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D).

Both sides were engaged in a final weekend push on the measure that would authorize up to 15,000 machines at five Maryland locations. With Obama (D-Ill.) expected to carry Maryland by a wide margin, the slots referendum has been the hardest-fought statewide campaign.

At the Rockville sign distribution center, Franchot (D) was accompanied by a top official of Marylanders United to Stop Slots, who handed out 100 Grand chocolate bars and chocolate candy coins.

"Our treat represents the trick that is the pro-slots campaign and the gambling industry," said Tom Smith, the group's deputy campaign manager.

Leggett, who "reluctantly" endorsed the measure in September as state and local budget problems worsened, also made an appearance at the Rockville center, where Franchot found sympathy with several Democratic activists from the county.

"It's silly to educate children based on the earnings of gambling," said Geoffrey Wolfe, a retired Foreign Service officer who took two anti-slots signs.

Leggett's automatic call says that slots "will pump $660 million in new money into Maryland schools without raising taxes." The figure is an estimate by nonpartisan legislative analysts for fiscal 2013, when slots are projected to be fully operational in Allegany, Anne Arundel, Cecil and Worcester counties and the city of Baltimore.

Slots opponents highlighted a new online poll yesterday that suggested that the campaign is a statistical dead heat, a finding at odds with a recent Washington Post poll and other surveys that have showed broader support for slots.

The poll, conducted by Zogby International for Stop Slots Maryland, another anti-slots group, said the introduction of slots in Maryland was supported by 44.6 percent of likely Maryland voters and opposed by 47.5 percent. The poll, conducted Oct. 29 and 30, was said to have a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

A Post poll published Oct. 22 found that 62 percent of likely voters supported the ballot measure and 36 percent were opposed.

Steve Kearney, a For Maryland spokesman, dismissed the Zogby poll findings and said his side was feeling confident.