
In Maryland, groundbreaking is scheduled Thursday for the state's largest slots machine casino, to be built at Arundel Mills Mall in Anne Arundel County.
After a legal battle that lasted nearly two years, Baltimore developer David Cordish can finally start construction on the casino. Owners of the Laurel Park racing track tried to get the casino built there, but voters in Anne Arundel County OK'd Cordish's plan at the polls last November.
Among those expected at Thursday's event is Gov. Martin O'Malley, who supported putting the casino at a horse-racing track, and not the mall.
The state's horse-racing industry has a vested interest in the success of the casino, as 9 percent of its profits will go to racing.
The eyes of the gaming industry will also be on the casino, as it's location differs from nearly all such facilities that have been built nationwide in the past decade. It's being built next to a shopping mall, with the national trend being casinos next to racetracks or resorts.

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