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Opponents of a proposed slots casino at Arundel Mills mall stated that they have collected enough signatures to force a public vote on whether zoning for the facility should be allowed. The group, comprised of anti-slots activists and horse-racing industry representatives, stated that they have submitted 23,702 voter signatures to the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections.  To put the measure on the county’s November ballot only 18,970 signatures were needed. Paid petition signature gatherers were used to accrue the 24 thousand signatures.  The group faced a Friday deadline to submit the first half of the required signatures, which will then be verified by the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections for several days.

Rob Annicelli, president of the group Stop Slots said, “Without question, there is overwhelming opposition by Anne Arundel County citizens to placing a casino at Arundel Mills Mall.  The mall is not the right location for a slots casino and is not in the best interests of the citizens of Anne Arundel County.” A decision was made in December by the Anne Arundel County Council to allow the Cordish companies to build at 4,750 machine casino in the Arundel Mills mall.  This casino would be the largest of five facilities authorized by Maryland voters, and this is the decision the group hopes to overturn.

A representative of Cordish said Thursday night that the petition drive was riddled with problems Joe Weinberg, a managing partner for the company said in a statement that “It is our understanding from legal experts in the area of referendum petitions that there were massive irregularities, both legally and procedurally, in this petition drive.  This is common when signatures on a petition are gathered primarily by paid workers that are financially incentivized to produce signatures. Upon review, we are confident the referendum will be struck down as both legally invalid and lacking in the requisite valid signatures.” The Stop Slots group has teamed with the Maryland Jockey Club, the operators of Laurel Park, which would prefer the slots license go to the racetrack instead. The state is authorized to award only once license in Anne Arundel, which it has given to Cordish, pending zoning approval.

Part of the argument is that things may get confusing for visitors and residents when looking for ways to maneuver around the city. Both Goodman and Condon are assuring people that patrons will have to go through separate areas to reach the slots venues than they would to reach the stores and other businesses. Goodman added, “We did not want the slots parlor to define the mall.”  Much of the argument they believe can be quelled with a good blueprint plan for building. The slots parlor will be added, but in an unobtrusive way. Goodman added, “It will be an extension, but not interfere with other businesses…we have made it separate from the main business quarters.”

Although many people assumed Laurel Park would end up getting slots, the referendum vote in 2008 made about a 50-square mile swath of land eligible for the machines. Rumors popped up occasionally in that year that Arundel Mills would come forward with a proposal, but there was no public acknowledgement of a pending slots bid until they were all made public in February. Laurel’s bid was rejected by the state because the company did not pay a required license fee.

Goodman said negotiations with Cordish took place over the course of 2008 and “became more serious as the year went on.” He is arguing the idea that companies should have announced their plans prior to the referendum stating that from a business standpoint that would not have been a good move. “It wasn’t finalized until it was announced,” Goodman said. “We never announce anything until it is fully executed.”

As the debate rages, many analysts are targeting other locations for slots parlors. People are seeing how heated the debate over slot machines and gambling are and want to capitalize on it. Governments are quick to hone in on the potential tax revenue dollars available if slots and gambling are accepted into their economy. It’s no doubt that slot machines are lucrative and if governments are hurting financially, and most are, then they are looking to expand their money-generating potential with slots machines. The recession was hard on all communities and gambling seems to be the quick answer for their money woes.

The owner of Arundel Mills is publicly promoting a plan for using slot machines at the Hannover shopping mall. Although the company was formerly silent on the decision, the company, Cordish Co. announced its proposal for 4,750 slots to be installed at the mall in the beginning of 2010.  Representatives are now changing their silent attitudes and promoting the slots initiative heavily.  Gregg Goodman, the President of Mills division of Simon Property Group, said, “A gaming complex is especially accretive to retail sales. For us, it is basically another anchor.”

Goodman and Gene Condon, the VP and General Manager for Arundel Mills respectively, are also hoping that upscale hotel rooms and future opportunities are a huge reason to support the slot parlor project and encourage it to be built soon.  Condon added, “We have delivered what we said we would deliver. We want to have the slots facility for a long period of time.” The future for Arundel Mills includes revamping existing facilities and bringing in a higher level of “luxury and decadence” to the “look” being projected to the customer. The facility now wants to reach the higher-end shoppers and gamers who visit and give them something to enjoy.

The company’s promotion of a slots parlor is just now becoming apparent. It is a critical time for them to voice their support because a state commission responsible for choosing slots locations appears ready to approve the Arundel Mills plan, and next month the council is set to vote on a controversial zoning change to allow the development. The zoning decision – mandated in the state constitution – has deadlocked the council for months as members worry whether Arundel Mills is an appropriate place and how to properly protect residents nearby.

Goodman and Condon expressed frustration with what they consider to be a routine development situation. Residents around the mall fear the slots facility will burden existing communities and cause crime to increase. They also fear that added traffic will congest the city area. Though there have been some opponents, mall officials said the appropriate time to deal with those problems is in the development, and not zoning, process. “The attitude that has been conveyed to us is just confusing,” Goodman said. “The arguments against the slots parlor are being used as an excuse to not get to the point where they are addressed.”

Part two coming next.