Potential developers from around the region questioned state officials Monday on specifics of their plans to bring slots to Maryland, just three weeks before the cutoff to submit proposals for the facilities.
The two-hour meeting at the Maryland State Lottery headquarters in Baltimore was one more step before the Feb. 2 deadline for developers to present proposals to place up to 15,000 slot machines at five locations around Maryland.
Developers turned out for the meeting, including representatives of Magna Entertainment Corp. and the Maryland Jockey Club, owners and operators of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course.
Other racing interests present included Penn National Gaming Inc., which owns Charles Town Races and Slots in West Virginia, and representatives from Delaware Park.
Attendees brought up a variety of issues, including what kind of machines would be placed in their facilities. According to the state law authorizing slots, the state will make the final decision on the type of machines, with input from the developers.
“We understand the opinion that for their investment they want the best machines that will attract the most revenue,” said Buddy Roogow, director of the Maryland State Lottery. “We understand that, we want the same thing.”
Lottery officials will work with the seven-member Video Lottery Facility Location Commission to make slots a reality. While lottery officials evaluate each applicant as a company, the commission will weigh their individual proposals.
Officials also spelled out guidelines for public access during the decision-making process. Developers who submit a proposal may be called on to present their plans in a public meeting, but all other data used in the evaluation of their proposal would remain confidential until the five licenses were granted, said Robert Howells, director of procurement for the Maryland State Lottery and a staff member of the location commission. Certain other financial and private data will not be made public.
“We are walking a fine line here, with being as open as possible,” Howells said. “Obviously if we were to discuss specific financial information É we would not expect an applicant to do that in a public forum.”
On Thursday, the location commission will host a site visit for potential developers of one of the locations for the Baltimore City slots venue.
