Fry said he will work with city officials to clarify that would-be developers can count the fee to lease the city-owned land near the stadiums toward the state-mandated capital improvement, and that applicants' $22.5 million initial licensing fee may be refunded if the slots panel rejects the bid.

The RFP tweaks also will clear up confusion about zoning and minority business participation, Fry said.

Proposals for the Baltimore project -- which, at 3,750 slot machines would be the second-largest in the state -- are due July 28.

Fry said he believes both remaining licenses will attract multiple applicants. Robert Howells, procurement officer for the Maryland Lottery, said he is "optimistic" that Baltimore will see a good response to its RFP and said applicants were "well on track" to meet the deadline, though the city is just beginning this week to meet with individual parties interested in the site.

Potential applicants have expressed skepticism about financial viability of the project. license holder would turn over 67 percent of slots revenue to the state and more than $8 million per year to the city.

The slots developer also would pay the $22.5 million licensing fee and foot the bill for any environmental cleanup at the casino site.

"It makes the project incredibly difficult," said William Kress, a lobbyist for Clairvest, a Canadian private equity group weighing a bid. "The tax rate and other financial obligations are so high that there's not a great deal of room for error."

He said his clients are interested because "the gaming market is under-served in Baltimore."

Other potential applicants include a group led by local attorney Hassan Murphy, who said at a pre-bid conference last month that the Baltimore proposal "presents some interesting challenges."

Also attending the conference were representatives from Florida-based Peebles Corporation and from Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas. Here's the full sign-in sheet.

Western Maryland officials also are hopeful about the project there. Dallas-based Paragon Project Resources is among several firms that have considered applying.

Groups that have long expressed interest "are coming back much more seriously" now that the tax rate has been lowered, said Robert C. Brennan, executive director of the Maryland Economic Development Corp., which oversees operations at Rocky Gap.