Photo: By Toohool – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157572995
The Maryland House Ways and Means Committee received testimony Thursday for and against HB 1240, which would put legalizing historical horse racing (HHR) up for a referendum by the voters in November.
Many of the same principals who testified before the Senate’s Budget & Taxation Committee on Feb. 25 returned to Annapolis for a lively discussion led by bill co-sponsor Del. Kris Fair.
Proponents of HB 1240 maintain HHR can serve as a needed lifeline for off-track betting parlors in addition to keeping gaming tax revenue within the state.
Opponents representing some of the state’s six casinos expressed cannibalization concerns and felt the proposed 40% tax rate for the machines was too low.