Cincinnati Prepares For New Casino Resort in Ohio

Residents of Cincinnati, Ohio have had to watch as casinos have been opened in recent years in other areas of the state. Next Spring, these residents will finally be able to relate to millions of other US citizens that have had casino resorts come to their city.

Officials from the Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati issued assurances this week that the $400 million gaming facility will be completed on time, and will open as planned next Spring. The group is not only meeting the time projections, but has also stayed on budget with the project. Horseshoe will become the fourth and final casino to open in the state.

The casino is being modeled to fit with the downtown Cincinnati area. One of the big attractions at the new casino will be a Margaritaville restaurant. Horseshoe officials wanted to ensure that the casino represented the city in which it was located.

"That flow is something that's very important to us," said Horseshoe General Manager Kevin Kline. "We want to be a big contributor for reinvesting money back into the community and creating a destination that really helps further the vitality and vibrancy of downtown Cincinnati."

The Cincinnati casino was one of four approved by voters back in 2009. After years of turning away casino proposals, voters finally gave in after the 2008 economic recession. The four casinos have provided thousands of temporary and permanent jobs at a time when the economy had many businesses laying off employees.

"The Ohio casinos did exactly what lawmakers anticipated they would do," said Gaming Analyst Brad Dawkins. "They created jobs, and they now are starting the process of bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to the state budget. So far it has been a win-win for lawmakers and residents of Ohio."

There still are skeptics that are reserving judgement on the casino gambling until after it is known whether the casinos contribute to an increase in crime and gambling addiction. The early reports do not indicate a large jump in crime in cities where casinos have already opened.

Horseshoe Casino is expected to have a significant economic impact on the Ohio economy. The casino is within walking distance of the stadiums where the Bengals and Reds play.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Daniel Gilbert is the founder of Rock Gaming, which owns both the Horseshoe Casino in Cincinnati and also a new casino in Cleveland. Penn National gaming owns the rights to the Columbus and Toledo casinos.

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