I’ve traveled through Baltimore-Washington International Airport a few times, and there’s not a lot to do there. This proposal to allow a massive slot casino at the airport might change that. From the Baltimore Sun:
A Baltimore County lawmaker is proposing slot-machine gambling at Maryland’s major airport, but Gov. Martin OMalley called the casino a "bad idea," limiting its chances at a time of slots-related buyers remorse in Annapolis.
Del. Eric M. Bromwells House Bill 777 – the airplane-related number is a coincidence – would add Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to the list of locations for the casino licenses approved by voters last year.
The bill, co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 11 Baltimore County and city lawmakers, would allow 3,000 slots in the terminal area.
The idea is to separate air travelers from their cash while they wait to board airplanes, said Bromwell, a Baltimore County Democrat. "If youre looking to capture revenues from outside of the state," he said, "were talking about people from all over the country and all over the world that land in BWI."
Because the gambling facilities would be behind security checkpoints, the one-armed bandits would attract travelers with time and money to burn, and not local gamblers, Bromwell said. The idea would require a voter-ratified amendment to the Maryland Constitution, which the lawmaker has also proposed.
House bill would allow 3,000 slot machines at BWI — baltimoresun.com.
To put this is context, Sam’s Town has 3,050 slot machines. So basically you’re talking about putting Sam’s Town behind the security checkpoints–minus the Shelper’s Western store on the second floor, I guess. I’d be interested to see the planning documents that justify this many slots. I don’t know how many people are loitering near airport gates at BWI at any given instant, but I find it hard to believe that there are 3,000 potential slot gamblers there.