Panel hears of aggressive push for electronic bingo

“We never received an official request to place machines because from the very start, I told them they were wasting their time.”

Electronic gambling machines -- devices that resemble slots -- have been proliferating in rural Maryland counties recently, in part because of a concerted lobbying effort by their manufacturer.

Officials in one municipality, afraid that they could be subject to a lawsuit for refusing to allow the machines, revised their gambling statutes late last year to protect themselves from litigation, according to testimony before a legislative committee Wednesday.

Among the most aggressive interests involved in the campaign is Frank Moran & Sons, an Arbutus-based company represented by lobbyist Bruce C. Bereano. Read more