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Maryland's Gambling Past

A devout Baptist visiting Southern Maryland from North Carolina, Burch's mother, Verna Banks, viewed gambling as a harmful vice. But on a visit to Raley's Alignment in Callaway, Banks dropped a few quarters in a slot machine. Jackpot! She was delighted with her small fortune. Ralph Raley, Marie's husband, sidled up to his mother-in-law and said teasingly, "You know it's a sin.'' "No, it's not," she replied.

Burch's opinion of slot machines still resonates today from her upbringing. "It's just like any other gambling, it's addictive,'' she said. And the 76-year-old Hollywood resident is adamantly against their return to Maryland.

Southern Maryland was king of slots for many years. It all came to an end in 1968 when they were outlawed.

Gambling was as divisive an issue back then as it is today. Opponents warned of the perils of slots, how paychecks were literally deposited quarter by quarter, dime by dime, nickel by nickel. Supporters viewed them as a godsend to the region's economy, especially for the hotel and restaurant trades. And the licensing revenues helped keep property taxes artificially low.

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