Table Games ONLY; No Slot Machines.

Prince Georges County, MD proposes a No Slots casino as legislature approaches deadline.

“It’s worse than useless,” said Milton V. Peterson, the developer of National Harbor, the 300-acre, mixed-use development on the banks of the Potomac River. “To even suggest it is insulting. There’s no place in the world with tables only.”

House leaders cast their plan as an attempt to balance the interests of a Prince George’s gambling venue with those of Maryland’s five previously authorized slots sites, some of which stand to lose business if a sixth location is authorized. Slots typically generate the majority of proceeds at casinos, but table games attract additional patrons and generate more jobs.

Washington Post.

I don't think this proposal is "real" ("real" meaning that someone really wants this to happen) but more posturing to get the lawmakers to work towards the solution that a particular group wants to see happen. There is conversation about adding another slots only casino in PG County and/or adding table games to the existing licenses as part of allowing the new casino.

I'm not a fan of "slots only" houses. It has been mentioned as a possibility here in Texas and, if passed, is just not a place my wife and I would visit. I want tables and slots wherever I play.

Quote: RonC

I want tables and slots wherever I play.

Agreed. Its sort of an atmosphere thing. Even if you don't ever go near the slot machines, they have to be there. Every casino winds up with an ever changing "mix" of customers but its hard to start out with major limitations. Many men shoot craps for hours because they know their wife is feeding coins into some slot machine and their "weekend gambling" will include meals together and occasional reunions at the slot machines but otherwise they are getting separate entertainment.

Quote: FleaStiff

Agreed. Its sort of an atmosphere thing. Even if you don't ever go near the slot machines, they have to be there. Every casino winds up with an ever changing "mix" of customers but its hard to start out with major limitations. Many men shoot craps for hours because they know their wife is feeding coins into some slot machine and their "weekend gambling" will include meals together and occasional reunions at the slot machines but otherwise they are getting separate entertainment.

Exactly...I may go for hours without seeing my wife if she is having good luck and does not come back for the drink I always order her...or more $$$$

There are plenty of casinos here in the Los Angeles area that are table games only: poker, blackjack, even card craps. Not a machine in sight except for card shufflers. You can play Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud, Paigow... the whole lot. Roulette too is a table game that is played with cards and the dealer does not throw a ball.

If you allowed the ball in roulette and the dice in craps, the table games here would be just like the table games in Vegas.

Personally, I would love to play in a table games casino provided you could really throw dice.

Quote: AlanMendelson

If you allowed the ball in roulette and the dice in craps, the table games here would be just like the table games in Vegas.

Except for the rules in Pai Gow Poker and BJ...

Washington State also has card clubs, but they're smaller. There are a couple nice card clubs at the racetracks here in Minnesota. I'm not sure if there's a track near the proposed site in MD, but I could see Canterbury Park's layout working well there.

Yup, Washington State has around 60 card rooms. The tribal casinos can offer all the games and slots (well not really slots, they are video pull tab based). The non tribal casinos are not allowed to have slots, craps, or roulette and are limited to 15 table games total, which are usually split between a couple poker tables and the other games (blackjack, pai gow, mini-bacc, etc).

Indian tribes are a major influence in Washington politics because they fund so many electoral campaigns. Think of the various gambling websites they've closed in Washington State.

Maryland is only issuing so many licenses...no one is going to be well served by taking one of those licenses and not putting in slots. I like table games the most but slots are going to happen because one of the goals of the government is to maximize taxes taken in by whatever they approve. There isn't going to be some 10-20 table card joint. It may work in other places but it doesn't fit Maryland's model.

Some of the proposals are more about pushing people to compromise and go the way you'd like them to than about actually having what is proposed ever happen.

We'll see what they come up with...