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Do Slots Help or Hurt the Economy?

With the national economy seeming to slump further on a daily basis, the commotion over what may or may not be “good” for the economy has never been more muddled. In the state of Maryland, there is a fierce debate being waged over whether slot machines would be a boon to the state’s finances, or something that made matters even worse. Slot games have pretty much always been controversial, but the question of whether they help or hurt has reached fever pitch.

The argument in favor of the slot machines is being fought by the For Maryland, For Our Future group. FMFOF maintains the position that the controversial slot games would be a shot in the arm of Maryland’s economy, a boost that the state needs more now than ever before. According to FMFOF, the slots would fill the gap in the state budget that could lead to higher taxes if not resolved. The economy is the group’s most-compelling justification to bring the much-ballyhooed machines into the state.

Of course, the anti-slot machine brigade is equally adamant that THEY are going to help the economy most – by disallowing the slots. Marylanders United to Stop Slots, or MUSS, has warned state lawmakers that allowing slot machines will only lead to financially-marginalized consumer frittering away their discretionary income on gambling. Casinos across America have seen plummeting revenues as the economy’s state worsens, they say, and therefore, there is no proof that bringing slots into Maryland would boost the state’s budget as industry advocates claims.

Back to September 2008 Archive.