Laurel Clergy Association Unanimous Resolution in Opposition to Slots

Point of Contact:  Kevin McGhee, Senior Pastor, Bethany Community Church (President, Laurel Clergy Association), 15720 Riding Stable Road, Laurel, Maryland, 20707  

301 549-1200,   fax 301 549-2400, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Release date:  October 4, 2007

The Laurel Clergy Association issues the following statement:

As leaders of Laurel’s churches, we unanimously oppose the legalization of casino style gambling in Maryland in all forms.  We particularly call on the Governor, Senate President, and Speaker of the House of Delegates, and all our elected leaders to eliminate our community, including the Laurel Park racetrack, from consideration as a possible venue for this destructive industry.

Whereas, the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, along with other elected leaders have done an outstanding job in revitalizing Laurel and putting into place long term planning that will result in Laurel’s continual redevelopment with upscale retail, high tech employment, and quality housing developments;

Whereas the Base Realignment and Closing Act will be bringing thousands of new high tech jobs to our area – but will also dramatically increase traffic and other infrastructure demands on our already crowded highways in the four county Laurel area;

Whereas the proposed Laurel Park site for a casino is immediately adjacent to one of the nations most secure locations whose employees guard the nations most sensitive intelligence information – and given that there are readily documented cases of compulsive gambling resulting in the unlawful release of highly sensitive classified materials,

And Whereas, casino style gambling has been shown to be . . .

. . .  a predatory practice taking funds primarily from those who can least afford to give them.  Our governments at every level have a responsibility to protect the poor and the elderly, not seek to manipulate additional funds from them.  We call on the State government to wean itself from all forms of state sponsored gaming, which so clearly prey on the citizens in Maryland’s most underserved and poorest communities, and to restrain itself from any new forms of government sponsored gaming.

. . . an unacceptable moral choice because it places the government in the position of sponsoring a dangerous addiction which will have a profoundly negative effect on families in our community.  No reasonable person disputes the well documented fact that compulsive gambling rates tend to increase by nearly 100% in those communities where video lottery terminals (slots) are introduced.  The Governor’s plan to spend millions to mitigate these negative effects both confirms their danger and leads us to demand that our community be removed from the list of potential venues. Only weeks ago, our Mayor, Chief of Police and State’s Attorney convened a mini-summit to discuss the escalating problem of domestic violence in our region.  There is an irrefutable link between compulsive gambling and an increase in domestic violence . . . as well as many other dangerous side effects, including suicide.  It is simply unacceptable to us, as guardians of our community, to allow these dangers to be forced on to the citizens of our community.  We would implore our elected leaders to note that the voluntary resources created by our churches to care for those facing homelessness and other severe family issues are already stretched to the maximum.  Placing a casino in our town has the potential to overwhelm the churches’ ability to respond, and government funding does not in any way guarantee an increased pool of volunteers who are the backbone of these efforts.

. . . an inconsistent source of revenue whose profits are to be disproportionately shared.  The need to adequately fund our schools and other vital services are far too important to depend on such an unstable source of funding.  The fact that a significant percentage of the profits taken from Maryland’s poorest citizens will accrue to corporate special interests outside of the United States is simply unacceptable to the citizens of our community.

We call on all of our elected leaders to display the moral courage and political wisdom to oppose casino gambling in Maryland.  A responsible policy at least demands that local communities have a right to self determination on whether they wish to have casino gaming be a central part of their economy.  Laurel would much prefer to be a center of high technology and upscale retail establishments – than to have the low paying jobs and many attendant problems that are inevitable part of the gaming industry!  We ask our elected leaders to join us in doing what is right for all of Maryland’s citizens, especially the poorest, and to not succumb to the political expedience of serving wealthy special interests.  

{The growing list of signatories is available upon request.}