ANNAPOLIS, Md. -
The Maryland Senate has approved a measure allowing table games like blackjack and a new casino near the nation's capital.
The Senate voted Friday for the bill on the second day of a special session called by Gov. Martin O'Malley in hopes of resolving a difficult issue in the state.
Swift passage was expected in the Senate, which passed a bill earlier this year to expand gambling.
The measure stalled in the House of Delegates, the tougher chamber for gambling legislation. A House committee held a hearing on the governor's measure Friday.
The gambling measure would allow a casino in Prince George's County. A key part of the bill cuts Maryland's 67 percent tax rate on casinos to varying degrees.
