Late Monday evening, Maryland state Senator Douglas Peters proposed a bill that could change the face of casino gambling in the Northeast. Peters suggested in the bill that table games become legal in Prince George County, a move that most analysts believe would only be the beginning of gambling expansion in the state.

"Once one county regulates table games and full-scale gambling, others usually follow," said Gaming Analyst Brad Dawkins. "It has a trickle down effect when other jurisdictions see the revenue they have been losing out on, and eventually, the state become much like Nevada and New Jersey, highly reliant on the hundreds of millions of dollars that casinos bring in."

Maryland lawmakers made the move several years ago to allow casinos in the state. The addition of casinos in Maryland meant more competition for Connecticut and New Jersey. It has been Pennsylvania, however, that has shown the blueprint for success with table gaming when they legalized table games. The new gambling has led to Pennsylvania now being considered the top gaming destination on the East Coast.

Other states have started the discussions on table games and Vegas-style casinos as well. In Florida, millions of dollars were spend lobbying for three casino resorts in South Florida. The bill that was produced through those lobbying efforts was withdrawn late last week, leaving the door open for other states to move on the issue.

Maryland has become a dark horse in the race for customers in the Northeast. Since opening casinos, Maryland residents have had the luxury of staying in-state to enjoy their gambling needs. Table games would make the trip to local casinos even more appealing for Maryland residents.

"I'm glad that we finally have casinos, but I still go to Atlantic City to gamble," said Maryland resident Bob Humphrey. "I like playing blackjack at a table, not on a machine, so I go to Atlantic City. If I could play blackjack or craps in Maryland, that would save me a lot of money and traveling time. I would definitely be in favor of that."