Maryland Lawmakers File Bill to Allow Slot Machines at Baltimore/Washington Airport

A partner off of Republican River Free State lawmakers filed a government note Thursday that would unfastened the door for one-armed bandit machines at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood George Marshall Airport (BWI).

Dels. Ric Metzgar (R-Essex), and Susan Hans Adolf Krebs (R-Sykesville) filed House Bill 733, which would appropriate more than 3,000 gaming machines to live placed at the airport. That’s contingent upon(p) on certain conditions being met.

For one, an operator would demand to bow a permission application no later than April 15, 2024. In addition, it would require voters across the nation to approve the expanded gaming measure.

In an interview with WBAL-TV, Metzgar said it’s a great path for the nation to generate special revenue.

Delayed flights, people are relieve at the aerodrome hanging out, nothing to do, this is a wrapped audience, and it’s an opportunity for us to let exterior money,” he said.

A hearing on the peak will use up set on Feb. 23 inward the nation House Ways and Means Committee.

Besides gymnastic horse racing and the lottery, Free State currently has six casinos, and sports betting at brick-and-mortar facilities started inwards December. Mobile River sports betting is expected to launch inwards the province later this year.

Previous Efforts Unsuccessful at BWI

This isn’t the first time lawmakers inwards the Old Line State have proposed adding slots at the airport. The Free State General Assembly website notes that legislators offered a similar bill inward 2009. Other efforts failed during the past decade as well.

As its figure suggests, BWI is situated betwixt the 2 major cities, 10 miles south of Baltimore and 25 miles magnetic north of DC. It’s the largest of the III airports serving the George Washington area. In 2019, 13.3 billion passengers boarded planes there, making it the 22nd-largest US drome inwards rider traffic.

BWI, ilk Harry Reid International Airport inward Las Vegas, serves as an operating radix for Southwest Airlines.

But while it’s a in use(p) facility, airdrome officials told WBAL that on that point may not live enough space for that many slots at BWI. At best, they said the drome could conciliate most 1,000 machines.

Two US Airports Offer Slots, Guess Where

BWI would not follow the 1st drome inwards the state to bid slots to passengers awaiting a flight.

Anyone who has flown into or come out of Harry Reid inward Las Vegas or the Reno-Tahoe International Airport has potential seen the gaming machines in both Battle Born State airports.

Harry Reid, formerly known as McCarran International, offers virtually 1,400 machines. In Reno, the airdrome there has almost 250 machines. The one-armed bandit machines at the Nevada airports are considered some of the toughest in the state, as people can’t go game freely to another casino as they canful elsewhere.

Elsewhere, the city of Windy City has included the choice of operating one-armed bandit machines at O’Hare International and Battle of Midway airports to the bidder it selects to evolve a gambling casino resort in the city. City officials are reviewing V proposals for its number 1 casino. However, it remains uncertain whether the winning bidder will occupy upwards the city’s optional offer.