After enduring $90 million fight, Maryland voters OK new casino

Maryland voters approved a new casino Tuesday after the most expensive political campaign ever witnessed in the state.

With 94 percent of precincts reporting, Maryland residents favored Question 7 by a vote of 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent. The measure will place a new casino in suburban Prince George’s County.

MGM Resorts International was the primary backer of the committee supporting Question 7, and the Las Vegas-based company spent $40.8 million on the ballot question.

Regional casino operator Penn National Gaming, also with headquarters in Las Vegas, opposed Question 7 and contributed $42 million to the anti-gaming expansion campaign.

In total, the fight over Question 7 ran more than $90 million, surpassing the combined total spent on Maryland’s last four gubernatorial elections.

MGM Resorts Chairman Jim Murren declared victory in a statement.

“The people of Maryland have delivered a message: Sorting through an onslaught of dishonesty, voters chose to support progress,” he said. “No one expected such a vicious campaign, but common sense prevailed and Maryland will certainly benefit from our hard work to fight a campaign of unrestrained distortion.”

Murren said MGM Resorts will immediately begin the design phase for the development.

Sayre Matthew, a 37-year-old Democrat, said she voted against more gambling, but not because she’s opposed to casinos.

“I feel like we could get a much better deal,” Matthew said in College Park, explaining that the dollars from gambling don’t mean more money for education, as has been advertised.

Retired medical assistant Carolyn Barton, also a Democrat, said she enthusiastically supported gambling expansion.

“I think they need it here,” Barton said after voting in Hagerstown. “I really think we’ll get money for school.”

Question 7 also allows Maryland’s five previously authorized slot machine-only casinos to add table games and lowers the state’s gaming tax from an industry-high 67 percent.

MGM Resorts plans to build an $800 million hotel-casino at National Harbor, a 350-acre retail, dining, residential and entertainment complex along the Potomac River, 10 miles from Washington, D.C.

The Peterson Cos., the developer of National Harbor, spread nearly $4.3 million among three committees registered to advocate for Question 7.

Caesars Entertainment Corp., which will operate a new Baltimore casino and wants to offer table games, contributed nearly $4.9 million to the pro-Question 7 cause.

Supporters said the question puts Maryland on equal footing with other gaming states in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region that have full-scale casinos.

Penn National was the primary contributor to the No on Question 7 cause.

The regional gaming company operates a slot machine casino in Maryland’s Cecil County, a racetrack in Prince George’s County and a full-scale casino in neighboring West Virginia.

Proponents of Question 7 said Penn National was only trying to protect its West Virginia casino from competition.

Some analysts estimate half of Penn’s customers come from Maryland.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.