Sen. Jim Brochin said today that his argument that off-track-betting can’t be expanded at the Maryland Fairgrounds in Timonium without a new referendum was not successful. Attorney General Brian Frosh’s office told Brochin that expanded gaming at the fairgrounds did not require action from the General Assembly.
In a letter to Brochin, Frosh’s office said:
Brochin is encouraging interested parties to attend two upcoming meetings: The Greater Timonium Community Council is hosting its regular meeting at Cockeysville Library at 7 PM on February 10, and a public-input meeting hosted by the Maryland Racing Commission at the Museum building at the Timonium Race Course (2200 York Road) at 6 PM on Feb. 11.
“Both of these meetings will are critical to ensure that the Racing Commission hears the opposition from the community. If possible, please try to make the meetings and please pass this on to others who might be interested,” Brochin said in an email. “Finally, the Racing Commission can also be contacted via email at racing@dllr.state.md.us. If you CC me on the message, I will also forward the message over to the members of the Commission.”
To the Timonium Community: As a native Marylander with three generations of family rooted in Maryland racing, the claims of traffic, crime and family values at the Timonium simulcast club are just totally false. I have managed such facilities in three states and all they have done is to create jobs. Most of them have been in suburban communities like Timonium and most are in or adjacent to shopping centers. In Pennsylvania where I worked, like this facility it will be a club-like operation. In Phoenix, Arizona where I also managed, there are over 75 locations with a waiting list all in suburban neighborhoods and not once a complaint to close. The McDonald’s on York Road will have more customers daily than the club, however the revenue generated will be far greater to the state, as it will help support the thousands of stakeholders who depend on Maryland’s rich racing history for their livelihoods. Due to the varied racing schedules, customers will come and go throughout the day and there is no such time as a rush hour. Take a tour of any similar site elsewhere and you will find a crowd that is heavily professional and quite upscale. Those who choose to watch and wager on racing close to home reflect their neighborhoods. The best customers racing have are educated and invest in their vocation in the same manner as those who seriously play the stock market. You will find these customers with laptops full of software, charts, data… Read more »