US state gambling expansion
News on 8 Nov 2012
News on 8 Nov 2012
Gambling expansion proposals on three U.S. State ballots have had a mixed response from voters this week.
A Maryland State casino expansion proposal was approved by a narrow margin, while another on the Oregan State ballot was rejected. Rhode Island voters opted for a measured approach, approving two expansions while rejecting another.
The Maryland State proposal in particular has garnered media attention due mainly to a combined $ 90 million advertising campaign which was predominantly spent on television advertising and described as the “costliest political battle to date” between MGM Resorts and Penn National Gaming Inc.
The gambling expansion proposal backed by MGM Resorts allows for a sixth casino to be constructed in the State, which Penn National Gaming Inc. opposed the proposal to protect its casino interests just over the Maryland border in West Virginia.
