Where Does Maryland Casino Money Go

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  1. Maryland Casino Money For Schools
  2. Where Does Maryland Casino Money Go
  3. Where Does Casino Money Go
  4. How Many Casinos Does Maryland Have
  5. Where Does Maryland Casino Money Go Back

BALTIMORE (WJZ)– When WJZ viewers saw freezing children and broken down city classrooms– suddenly everybody asked “what happened to all the casino money that was supposed to help the schools?”

Money

We all remember them. Emotional, dramatic commercials first in 2008 and then again 2012 appealing to voters to approve gambling in Maryland because it would mean millions in additional money for Maryland’s school children.

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Many of you voted to legalize gambling after being swayed by the casino campaign.

‘Slots for Tots’ it was called, but State Comptroller Peter Franchot, a target of the casinos, was always an opponent.

“The problem is, it was always a hoax and it’s still a hoax perpetrated on the public,” Franchot said.

A hoax because a WJZ investigation reveals (and what most Marylanders did not and do not realize) is, hidden in the language of the law; the gambling money funds but does not add to the State’s education budget.

Benjamin Orr of the Center for Economic Policy says, “the voters thought they were voting for this totally new pot of money for education and they didn’t get it.”

Schools

The casinos are making more and more money and, by law, putting more and more money in the Education Trust Fund but that is not moving the dial on education.

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“If we didn’t have a single casino we would be spending the exact same amount of money on education,” Franchot said.

Does

Close to $2 billion has been spent on education since slots were legalized. Meanwhile, children freeze in classrooms, schools close because of broken furnaces and faulty heating systems; districts struggle with inadequate budgets and our newsroom is inundated with e-mails and phone calls from frustrated voters asking “what about the casino money?”

That very question led veteran Delegate Maggie McIntosh to get her staff to take a close look at the law.

Maryland Casino Money For Schools

Casino

“Lo and behold, the language did lead you to believe you were voting for new, additional funding,” Delegate McIntosh said.

That revelation has McIntosh and Senator Joan Carter Conway co-sponsoring a bill to protect the Education Trust Fund money and make sure, in the future, those millions become an additional source of money for our schools, our children.

“Over a period of 4 years we’re are going to increasingly make it 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent supplemental on top of the budget,” Delegate McIntosh said.

Governor Hogan supports efforts to fix what he considers the “flawed legislation” created under the previous administration.

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December marked one of the most profitable months on record for Maryland casinos— which generated more than $95 million in revenue. Regrettably, soaring profits for casinos have not resulted in more money for education, as they could have without past changes in state law.

Instead, teachers and staff continue to face layoffs and students have fewer resources than they need because of budget cuts.

Two main factors prohibited education in Maryland from benefiting from increasing casino profits. One was a change in the rules pertaining to how much money the casinos could keep, and the other was a change in how the government would spend the money.

The original legislation that legalized gambling mandated that the Education Trust Fund receive the lion’s share of gambling revenues from slots at five new casinos. About half of the slots revenue went directly to the fund and an additional 18.5 percent to other state programs. The casino companies generally kept no more than 33 percent.

Where Does Maryland Casino Money Go

Where does maryland casino money go

Where Does Casino Money Go

However, in 2012 new legislation allowed all casinos to add lucrative table games, such as poker, craps and roulette. And it allowed the companies to keep 80 percent of the table game proceeds—while also reducing the share of slots money that goes to the education fund.

Last month, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore reported earnings of $27.2 million the largest percentage increase—19 percent—over December 2015. That figure nearly matched the casino’s record high of $27.5 million set in August. Maryland’s largest casino, Maryland Live, generated $54.1 million from slot machines and table games in December, a 7.9 percent increase. Overall, Maryland casinos outperformed expectations year-to-year (December 2014 to December 2015), with a revenue growth of 11 percent.

How Many Casinos Does Maryland Have

Casinos have contributed hundreds of millions to the Education Trust Fund in recent years, despite the legislative changes. However, instead of increasing overall resources for schools, state leaders have shifted money that used to go to education to other needs.

Where Does Maryland Casino Money Go Back

If contributions to the Education Trust Fund had remained as they were prior to 2012, and gaming revenues had gone solely toward increasing education funding, Maryland schools would have had millions more in support. The governor and lawmakers should reverse this course by mandating a larger contribution from casinos and halting the practice of diverting funds intended for education.