The Con Side
Four decades ago, Maryland outlawed slot machines. 40 years later, residents have just decided to bring slots back to the state, and many are simply not happy about the decision. They argue that the state had it right in the 1970s and had outlawed that whole thing for a good reason. Since now they have officially voted slot machines back into the state, officially, they won’t be having their way, but they certainly haven’t stopped expressing their views.
Opponents have long been against slot machines and what they mean for the community. They have done studies that supposedly show that slot machines bring addiction, depression, suicide, and bad behavior and influences for underage residents of the areas in which slots and gambling is prevalent.
Either way, the organizations that were against slot machines were only able to raise a minimal amount of money for their cause, which was a direct reason for their inability to sway the numbers that would have reinstated the outlawing of the slot machines. They had not a shot against the organizations that were pushing for slot machines to be legalized.
This was actually the first time that the anti slots groups were not able to change enough minds, since the issue has been up for a vote several time in the recent past. Every time though the situation has been such that people are not in such dire need for cash in their pockets or in the state budget. Right now, however, people are getting pretty desperate, and perhaps the idea of the possibility of making some quick cash at the slots casino sounds worth the money they supposedly will be paying for Prozac later on down the line.
Back to February 2009 Archive.
