< p>Eleven lawmakers and legislative aides have been appointed to a commission to study the expansion of gambling in Maryland, Gov. Martin O’Malley announced.

Members of the Work Group to Consider Gaming Expansion include top lawmakers from the Senate Budget and Taxation and House Ways and Means committees. The group will be led by John Morton III, chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority.

If the commission concludes that expanding gambling — measures that would allow table games such as blackjack and roulette at Maryland casions and add a sixth state casino site in Prince George’s County — are worth the state’s consideration, O’Malley said he plans to call a special session on gambling the week of July 9.

The commission plans to meet three times, the first of which is scheduled for June 1.

Any expansion of gambling has to be voted on by Maryland residents.