Marylanders United to Stop Slots is an anti-slots group from the state of Maryland. The group has stated that they want a radio station, WBAL-AM, to pull two ads that are being aired. These ads were created by the pro-slots rival organization, Maryland For Our Future.

A letter was received by the radio station from the anti-slots group senior advisor, Scott Arceneaux. The letter stated: “These advertisements are false and misleading, and knowingly misstate facts and positions on the issue of Question 2, the slots constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall.”

Arceneaux stated that one ad says that slots will bring a guaranteed $650 million in new education funding every year and Arceneaux says this will not happen and it is a lie. He also states that the second ad makes false statements about anti-slots organizations such as the one Arceneaux is a part of.

Arceneaux stated: "The ad makes the claim that those opposing slots have proposed a $700 million tax increase to make up for an alleged and, frankly made up, short fall of $700 million. The anti-slots groups in this campaign have made no such proposal."

The spokesperson for the For Maryland For Our Future group, Steve Kearney, stated that the ads running on the radio station are true and the anti-slots groups have said exactly what the ads state. Kearney told the PolitickerMD website: “They can’t expect to get away with talking about raising taxes in Montgomery County and cutting services in the rest of the state and not get caught.”

In November, citizens will be voting if the state constitution should amend to allow no more than 15,000 slot machine installations at five different locations across the state of Maryland. Believers in the amendment believe that the slots will provide the state with funding for education and help close the budget deficit. Opponents believe the revenue estimates are overly optimistic and problems associated with gambling outweigh the benefits.


- 2008-10-02