Our friends at flightwisdom.com noted a bill pending in the Maryland legislature that will legalize slot machines at BWI airport. We all know there are plenty of slot machine at the Las Vegas and Reno airports; why not at others. The machines can be controlled and airports are tough organizations for the mob to control.
There would be up to 3,000 machines! Now there is a fast start. I’ll bet the revenue figures are eye-popping. Increasing the passenger facility charges from $4.50 to $7 would look like chicken feed. This may be a way the FAA together with local airport authorities should move to improve airport infrastructure.
The machines would certainly make waiting at the airport more enjoyable for some. Then again, others will be set to rant against gambling in any form. This will be a change of the Maryland State Constitution, so passage of this will take far more than a simple legislative vote.
Then again, isn’t hoping your flight will depart on-time a type of gambling? The payout for slot machines ranges in the 90+ percent range. The on-time departures rarely happen more than 80 percent of the time.
Slot machines don’t look like such a bad bet. What are your thoughts?
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
