While that funding still amounts to less than what the town once received in highway user fees, it has helped, according to Meehan. To keep its streets passable, Ocean City has used its $1.5 million in casino revenue to address paving. In Ocean City, funding from the casino has supplemented the town's street paving budget, which has suffered since highway user fees from the state were cut. That revenue has been used for a number of public projects. Close to $9 million of that has gone to local impact grants.Ĭasino officials could not be reached for comment. So why not let them spend their money in Worcester County?Īccording to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, the Casino at Ocean Downs has generated $161 million in revenue since it opened in January 2011. Williams said at the time, he knew of plenty of residents that, every Sunday after church, got together with their friends into 'little caravans' and headed up the road to Harrington's casino. It's very difficult to create a year-round generator of jobs and employment.'

'The room was packed with people who thought it was a positive thing,' he said, 'mostly because of economic reasons. The mayor said he and council members were consistently supportive of the development of a casino at Ocean Downs, and recalls a public hearing where nearly all attendees wanted to see slots approved. In Worcester County, the 5.5 percent for local impact grants was further broken down - Worcester County was to receive 60 percent of it, Ocean City 20 percent, Berlin 10 percent and Ocean Pines 10 percent.īerlin Mayor Gee Williams said most residents in his town favored the idea of slots from the start. The Maryland Education Trust Fund gets nearly half the profits, with the remainder going to casino operations (33 percent), local impact grants (5.5 percent), racetrack renewal (2.5 percent), the Maryland Lottery (1.75 percent) and minority businesses (1.5 percent). 'We were concerned it'd have an effect, but if it has it's been minimal.'Īs agreed when slots were approved in Maryland, casino revenues are broken down into a number of categories. 'It's had very little impact on Ocean City,' Meehan said, explaining he'd been worried about visitors' discretionary spending.

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