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Former delegate Gerron Levi has launched an online petition to stop slots from coming to Prince George’s County, garnering about 102 unverified signatures as of Thursday with plans for a larger-scale rollout and petition kick off planned to begin Sunday at several area churches.

Her effort began Monday, shortly after state Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Dist. 23) of Bowie submitted Senate Bill 892 on Feb. 6 calling for a referendum to allow a county slots casino, but requires that it receive a majority vote within the county and statewide.

“She’s consistently been against slots, so I respect her opinions and actions,” said Peters, who added he personally opposes slots. “Slots could generate between $20 million to $40 million annually for the county, and we should put it to the voters.”

Slots supporters have suggested Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington and National Harbor in Oxon Hill as possible county casino sites to help generate revenue. In a 2008 statewide referendum, voters approved five slots locations, all outside of Prince George’s.

Among the reasons Levi opposes slots is gambling addiction, the likelihood of increased crime and placing them in county areas that are among the highest in the county in foreclosure rates.

“Prince George’s County is the epicenter of the foreclosure crises in the state, and we’re going to put a known debt creator — a casino — right in the center of it,” Levi said. “Win, lose or draw, we have to fight bad public policy.”

Levi served as a delegate from 2007 to 2011, when she gave up her seat in an unsuccessful campaign bid for the county executive seat.

With the short timeframe given that the Maryland General Assembly plans to act on the issue within the next three weeks, Levi said her goal for the petition is to have several hundred signatures on the petition.

“We have to pressure our lawmakers to oppose it,” Levi said. “It’s hard to educate people on the pitfalls over time of hosting a casino and the kind of impact it has on the community. There’s just so many different pieces and bad outcomes that result in a casino.”

In addition to the petition, Levi distributed a anti-slots letter in November that currently has been signed off by 67 churches and organizations.

Ron Yaros, an assistant professor at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park, said online petitions are effective for a specialized audience.

“Research shows that protestors and those concerned about policy changes are early adopters,” Yaros said.

While concerns of less ethical supporters signing online petitons mulitple times with different aliases is a concern, Yaros said software exists to confirm IP addresses and lock out any respondant from signing an online petition more than once.

Levi said slots offer nothing of value to the community.

“You’re not creating anything of value,” Levi said. “It’s simply not worth the cost,” Levi said. “The cost is too great to family, the community and to our way of life.”

Peters said he had not surveyed his constituents, but from looking at the polls from the 2008 referendum, he thinks it’s worthwhile putting the decision to voters. According to a January poll by The Washington Post, 57 percent of county residents favored slots.

Suitland resident Elsie Jacobs said while she likes slots, she does not want them in Prince George’s.

“It would be a disaster,” said Jacobs, the president of Suitland Crime Action, which works to improve public safety and property values. “It’d be worse than what it is now. You’re just asking for trouble, and the money they’re giving Prince George’s is peanuts. People that live near Rosecroft don’t want slots in their backyards.”

A statewide public hearing on the issue will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Annapolis.

The online petition is available at http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-slots-prince-georges?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=autopublish.

jlyles@gazette.net