For slots opponents, the devil is in the details.

In the coming weeks, "there are going to be significant details to work out," said Aaron Meisner, chairman of Stop Slots Maryland.

What proponents of Question 2 failed to talk about, Meisner said, was that decisions regarding the split in revenues will be made in Annapolis, and " the General Assembly has the power to change it in this session or any subsequent session."

As potential slots parlor operators begin lining up to bid on licenses, they also could be gearing up for a debate over how the revenues for slots are divided.

Last week, a top official with MGM Mirage told The Baltimore Sun that the 67-cent tax on each dollar of slots revenue that legislators approved during the 2007 special session will make it difficult for casino operators, strapped for capital in a tight economy, to develop high-end slots parlors.

MGM Mirage will not bid on a license, the official told The Sun.

But others lined up within hours of voters passing the constitutional amendment to legalize gambling.

The Maryland Jockey Club, which operates Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and a training center in Bowie, announced Wednesday that it will apply for a license for Laurel Park, with is eligible for up to 4,750 slot machines.

That same day, Baltimore city's Board of Estimates approved a $4.1 million purchase of land in South Baltimore for a slots parlor.

The referendum, approved Tuesday by a 58.6 percent to 41.4 percent margin, allows 15,000 slot machines in five locations in Allegany, Anne Arundel, Cecil and Worcester counties and Baltimore city. The Baltimore location cannot be at Pimlico, and the Allegany location will be at the state-owned Rocky Gap State Park.

Who gets the licenses will be decided by a nine-member commission. The governor, speaker of the House and Senate president will appoint three members each.

Gov. Martin O'Malley also will appoint four members—whom the Senate must confirm — to the five-member State Lottery Commission, which is charged with leasing the machines to licensees.

O'Malley (D) said he would meet with staff this week to begin deliberating on the appointments.

"It has always been our intent to move with some speed and to move forward carefully but very deliberately so that we might realize those revenues as quickly as possible," he said. "You'll see all of that sort of rolling out in the weeks ahead."

Slots opponents predict that one of the biggest hurdles to opening slots parlors will not be left to O'Malley to overcome.

Counties must amend zoning laws, which potentially could be contentious in places like Anne Arundel County, where County Executive John R. Leopold (R) opposes slots, but has said he will not stand in the way of the parlors now that voters have weighed in.

"You cannot build a quality grocery store without there being concerns over zoning and debates over zoning with neighbors," said O'Malley, adding that he was confident of overcoming any hurdles "in a way that's respectful to community concerns."

Legislative analysts project the machines could generate $1.36 billion by fiscal 2013.

Of that, a projected $660.4 million would go toward schools.

No more than one-third of the revenues—a projected $449.3 million — would go to licensees.

Of the remaining revenue:

ï7 percent ($95.3 million) would go to horse racing purses.

ï5.5 percent ($74.9 million) would go to local governments.

ï2.5 percent ($34 million) would go to racetrack upgrades.

ï2 percent ($27.2 million) would go to lottery operations.

ï1.5 percent ($20.4 million) would go to minority business investment.

But opponents are worried that legislators could consider legislation to change the revenue allocation.

"It seems pretty clear that the casino interests are going to be in Annapolis calling for a change in their tax rate, which is a change in the split," Meisner said.

Which piece of the pie gets carved up would "be all about political power and lobbying money," he said.

A move to change the allocation formula would set off political fireworks, said Del. William A. Bronrott, who voted to put the slots question on the ballot and then joined the coalition to oppose the measure.

"If anybody wants to come back and cut up the pie in a way that would reduce the amount the state takes into its budget, I think that potentially would cause major conflict and battle here in Annapolis," he said. "I think many feel that the state should've taken a larger percentage of the slots money."

Voters will be watching, said Scott Arceneaux, senior adviser for Marylanders United to Stop Slots.

"I think folks need to hold politicians in Annapolis accountable for the deal that has been set and the deal that they've voted on," he said.

The House Republican Caucus opposed legalizing slots through a constitutional amendment. The plan passed by the legislature to award licenses through the nine-member commission is susceptible to influence from gambling interests, Republicans said.

With the referendum's approval, gambling lobbyists "will be cleaved on the host body in government for a long time," said House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) of Lusby.

Republican delegates called for an auction of operator licenses that they said would generate more money than the license fee approved by the legislature. That fee is $3 million for licensing and $25 million for construction costs per 500 machines.

But don't look for slots to offer any short-term relief to a state budget deficit that could be more than $1 billion in the next few years, said Bronrott (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda. Significant slots revenue will not begin flowing into state coffers until fiscal 2011.

"For anybody who thought that slots were going to be a panacea for our budget woes, they are going to be greatly disappointed when they find that we will have to cut even more out of our budget when the governor presents it in January," he said.

Eli Segall of Capital News Service contributed to this report.