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Does the racing industry(which is a strong lobby group within the state) want competition? I can't see them wanting legal poker in the state unless they can have games on site. How many bad poker players in other jurisdictions could have been bad horse bettors if poker weren't legal through card halls or casinos?
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True enough, Lefty. But that strength is questionable. Governor Ehrlich has been pressing for leaglizing slot machines, partially to aid state horse racing, and can't get it through the legislature.
Poker might be more palatable. Canterbury in Minnesota is a good example. Through the first three months of 2005 the racing handle was $13.7M and the card room brought in an extra $4.5M.
Link to Canterbury SEC filing.
Plus, unlike slots, which are available in WV and DE (and soon to be PA) MD would have th epoker market to themselves.
Doubtful this will happen, though. The slots debate has been painful enough, and despite the boom in poker's popularity, slots would bring in far more revenue.