For Immediate Release: February 20, 2004

Baltimore, MD -- In a search for additional government revenues and in an effort to respond to competitive pressures from Delaware and West Virginia, the State of Maryland continues to contemplate the expansion of gaming. On January 26, 2004, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. introduced a proposal to award up to six licenses to operate video lottery terminals in Maryland. Because this proposed legislation includes provision for VLTs at Pimlico Race Course in northwest Baltimore City, at Laurel Raceway in Anne Arundel, and at Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George's County, the Presidents' RoundTable, Inc. and the Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable, Inc. commissioned a study to analyze the probable economic and social impacts of expanded gaming on citizens and businesses in Baltimore City and in Prince George's County.

Based on extensive research OPTIMAL researchers found that the aggregate benefits significantly exceed the aggregate costs of legalizing VLTs in Maryland. However, the benefits of expanded gaming would be diffused across the many citizens of Maryland, while the costs would be disproportionately concentrated in the communities surrounding new VLT venues. Research suggests that much of the negative impact of VLTs would fall on Baltimore City and on Prince George's County.

View the complete report, "The Economic and Social Impacts of Racetrack Video Lottery Terminals on the City of Baltimore and Prince George's County." View a brief PowerPoint presentation by OPTIMAL on VLTs in Baltimore City. Or, learn more about OPTIMAL's other research in economic evelopment .

Below are links to related news articles:

• "Slots prey on weakest, foes warn Assembly," Baltimore Sun, March 24, 2004
• "Presidents RoundTable hosts slots forum in Park Heights," The Afro American Newspaper, March 10, 2004
• "Johnson Wants Pr. George's Cut From Slots Bill," Washington Post, March 2, 2004
• "D.C.-area county debates gambling," Baltimore Sun, February 29, 2004
• "Study predicts high social costs for slots," Baltimore Sun, February 21, 2004
• "Presidents' RoundTable reports slots' pluses and minuses," The Afro American Newspaper, February 20, 2004
• "Study: Slots' social costs in millions," The Gazette, February 20, 2004

Optimal Solutions Group, LLC, is a minority-owned economic and policy analysis consulting firm in the Baltimore-Annapolis-Washington, DC area.  We are committed to supplying insightful program evaluation, cost-benefit and effectiveness analyses, custom econometric modeling, and market analyses for decisionmakers in both the public and private sectors.

OPTIMAL has served the needs of numerous governmental and commercial clients, including federal and state agencies, community-based organizations, business associations, and law firms.