Events that consumed only three minutes and occurred two years ago planted the political vines asphyxiating the slot machine process in Anne Arundel County.

For months, the County Council and the state's Video Lottery Facility Location Commission have been in a stalemate over Cordish Cos.' proposal to put 4,750 slots at Arundel Mills mall in Hanover.

The source of the problem is a provision that was inserted into the slots constitutional amendment with little floor debate during the 2007 special session. Because of 17 words, Cordish cannot just get the state commission to approve a license, as the Baltimore firm also...