Tuesday's referendum on video lottery terminals will decide whether or not to add an amendment to the state constitution allowing slot machines in Maryland. The gaming outlet has been illegal for several decades, but that could change after Election Day.
A poll conducted by The Towerlight last week demonstrated support by the student body for slot machines. Of the 325 students polled, 115 said they plan on voting for slots Tuesday. Fifty-eight said they plan on voting against Question 2 and 63 were undecided. The remainders either skipped the question or were not Maryland residents and therefore not eligible to vote on the issue.
The referendum on slots has been a controversial subject on campus during the fall semester. The University System of Maryland declared their support for the referendum, leading the Student Government Association to pass a resolution in support of the USM. The initial meeting when the resolution was passed included an hour-long discussion outside Prettyman and Scarborough halls during the SGA's second outdoor meeting of the semester.
As a result, following meetings have included intense debate between SGA senators, executive board members, directors and members of student organizations including the Black Student Union and the Brotherhood: Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.
SGA director of legislative affairs Sarah Elfreth championed the resolution in support of slots.
She said the SGA currently does not have the resources to conduct a survey of the campus beyond Involved@TU, which she said would not provide a representative sample.
"We have to represent everybody on campus, not just those that speak the loudest," she said. "I feel that the senators work and the breakdown of their votes is representative of the campus."
Dissenters of the slots referendum cite socio-economic concerns when discussing Question 2. They argue that the machines will be placed in low-income communities and create gambling addicts and invite criminal activity into the neighborhoods. Advocates point out the shortfall in funding across the nation and the need for alternative sources of income for the state.
Slots are estimated to raise more than a billion dollars with a large percentage directed toward education.
"I don't want to speak for students, but they know that there are increased taxes coming just like those on cigarettes and the lottery. It has been built up that that isn't OK," Elfreth said. "It's the reality that not only is the economy in a deficit, but Maryland is in that same place. Students realize that and they know that people are going across state lines to gamble. It's better to keep it in the state and recycle it back to help the state."
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