MARYLAND
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - MGM Resorts International has spent about $8.4 million for advertising to support an expansion of gambling.
The Las Vegas company's latest report released Tuesday is about $3 million more than its last report released four days ago. MGM is hoping voters will approve an additional casino site in Prince George's County, near the nation's capital.
Penn National Gaming Inc., which is opposing the expansion, has spent about $9.5 million so far. Penn National owns Maryland's Perryville casino, as well as a casino not far from the Maryland border in West Virginia.
Maryland voters will be deciding whether to expand gambling to allow table games, as well as the additional casino site, in November.
DELAWARE
DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware's casino industry will be asking for more financial breaks when the General Assembly reconvenes next year.
The head of the state's Video Lottery Advisory Council, a panel of industry officials, said Tuesday that his priorities include cutting the state's share of slot machine and table game revenue.
Dover Downs CEO Ed Sutor noted that Delaware casinos are taxed about 35 percent on table games, more than double Pennsylvania's rate and higher than the 20 percent rate proposed for table games in Maryland.
State officials this year eliminated $4 million in annual slot machine fees paid by the casinos and cut table game fees from $6.75 million to $3 million. The casinos agreed to spend an equal amount on traditional business expenses such as marketing, capital improvements and debt reduction.
