No Surprise Church Groups Fighting Ohio Gambling Plan

Casino gambling and churches do not go hand in hand. Churches, in fact, have been the driving force behind may casino expansion plans that have been foiled. In Ohio, a church group is looking to go to the well one more time.

For years, church groups have argued that casino expansion could hurt a community. They were backed by citizens who were highly religious, and felt they had a higher moral ground. That was an outdated way of thinking, however, with more people today believing that casino gambling could be good for a community.

In Ohio, the Ohio Council of Churches has vowed to fight casino gambling expansion in the state. At a time when residents of Ohio are coming around to the idea of casino gambling, the church group is trying to send an old message.

"We believe that putting that (casinos) in urban areas like Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, brings to the tables, the slot machine tables, a whole group of people who don't have disposable income to spend, and are enticed to spend long hours there trying to correct their financial difficulties," said Tom Smith, public director of 17 Christian Denominations.

Smith and his religious group appear to be in the minority on the issue these days. Recent reports have indicated that residents of Ohio have finally changed their minds on the casino issue. The majority now favor casino expansion.

The casino issue is one that has been around for many years in the state of Ohio. Voters have turned away casino expansion several times before, but this time support is growing for casinos.

One of the major concerns on the church group is the idea that eighteen year-olds would be allowed to gamble legally. That is something the group cannot overlook.

"They (eighteen year-olds) generally don't have the funds to do this (gamble) and are probably not as able to walk away from the tables when they are losing," said Smith.

August 14, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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