GAMBLING

RUSSELL ROSENBLAUM, high stakes poker player, December 23, 2002
CZIKOWSKY: Several years ago, I met a famous actress and her husband, who was introduced as “a professional gambler”. Aren’t the odds stacked against gamblers? How many people, besides you, really can earn money as a professional gambler?
ROSENBLAUM: First of all, I’m not a professional gambler. That said, most good professional gamblers can and do take money playing poker and blackjack. The problem is they don’t take enough money to survive. It’s much easier to win gambling when you don’t have to win to pay your mortgage.

MATTHEW MOSK, Washington Post Staff Writer, April 11, 2005
CZIKOWSKY: One of the lessons learned a few years ago in Louisiana is” there can be too many gambling establishments. They overbuilt gambling places and many failed. New Jersey may be hitting the saturation level, as noted by Trump Casino filing for bankruptcy. Now, Pennsylvania is building casinos. So, why are some legislators still fighting to build casinos in Maryland? Maryland may be attempting to join the game too late.
MOSK The Senate President, Mike Miller, has made a similar point, although he strongly supports slots. He says the interest in gambling is cyclical, and Maryland has just about missed it’s opportunity to really benefit from this. Now that Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia have slots, there’s some question whether there would be as much to gain. Other supporters, however, say there’s a strong market in Maryland, given its proximity to D.C. and Virginia.