Board approves $49M purchase of slots

ANNAPOLIS — A state board approved a $49 million contract Wednesday to buy about 1,000 slot machines for a casino that’s on track to become Maryland’s first.

The Board of Public Works voted 2-1 to approve the contract with six different vendors for the planned casino near Interstate 95 in Perryville in Cecil County. The contract includes the costs to lease or purchase 1,062 machines and cover installation and maintenance.

Penn National Gaming has a license to operate up to 1,500 machines at the Hollywood Casino, and state lottery officials say plans are in the works to buy more machines. Lawmakers decided the state should purchase the machines to ensure greater oversight, when they approved the framework in a 2007 special session.

Comptroller Peter Franchot voted against the contract because he only re-ceived details about the $49 million deal late Tuesday afternoon. Franchot questioned why the board was being asked to approve such a large contract with little time for review.

Franchot also said he was disappointed that the contract includes 20 percent minority and women-owned business participation in-stead of a 25 percent goal.

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