Fifth Time's a Charm for Ohio Gambling

by Robert Ramstetter

For years, Ohioans who wished to gamble have had to make a trek to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or more recently, Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Now, after four failed attempts at bringing gambling to the state, the passage of Issue 3 cleared the way for casinosin Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, and Cincinnati. Although voters solidly rejected gambling initiatives in the past, analysts attributed Issue 3's success to the struggling economy. Proponents of the issue campaigned that its passage would create 34,000 jobs in a state that is among the hardest hit by unemployment. While the estimates of tax revenue from the issue's passage differ, experts all agree that there will be a tremendous windfall from casino taxes.

Despite negative television and radio ads against casino gambling in the Ohio, the issue received endorsements from prominent politicians and even the Fraternal Order of Police. Unlike past ballots, this issue proposed casinos in the four largest Ohio cities, rather than one city or even rural areas, which was another contributing factor in the successful passage.

While opponents have argued against casino gambling in Ohio for years, some reluctant supporters point to many reasons to vote for the issue. They point out that Ohio has had a long history of legal gambling in various forms. Several race tracks havelong and proud traditions in the state, while church bingo's have drawn generations of participants. The Ohio Lottery has been a household staple in the state for over three and a half decades. They argue that people who want to gamble are already doing so, whether they are doing it in the state or somewhere else. The truth of the matter is that Ohioans are feeling left out of the gambling spotlight and tax windfalls and voters finally decided that enough was enough.

The only thing left to see is how the state-wide smoking ban will affect the casinos.