Untapped county revenue source spelled B-I-N-G-O : Commercial parlors may face tax hike

Outside Bingo World in Brooklyn Park last night, cars sped across the parking lot to make the start of the 7:30 game. Inside, players crowded in four lines, 15 people deep.

Here, amid the ink dabbers, clouds of smoke and rows of paper cards, County Executive John R. Leopold says he's found an untapped revenue source.

Yesterday, Mr. Leopold proposed increasing the tax on the county's three commercial bingo parlors, which would add about 85 cents to last night's $33 evening of bingo. Bumping the 7.5 percent tax rate to 10 percent would make bingo taxes in Anne Arundel County 20 times as high as those in Calvert County, the only...