Strickland Order Could Hurt Push For Casino Gambling In Ohio

Governor Ted Strickland has recently changed his stance on expanded gambling in Ohio. When lawmakers did not have a similar change of heart, Strickland issued an executive order to bring slot gambling expansion to state racetracks.

That executive order has casino proponents worried that it could hurt their efforts to bring casinos to the state. They fear that their projections for what the state could bring i with the slot competition.

While the casino advocates are scrambling to come up with the data necessary to figure out how much damage the racetrack slots could do to casino revenue, there still is hope the two can both profit. The executive order will not stand in the way of the proponents goal of bringing casinos to four major cities in Ohio.

"There is a sufficient market to support both," said Bob Tenenbaum, a spokesman for the casino referendum campaign the Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan, as reported on Cincinnati.com, "Cannibalization-I don't know that's clear. Clearly there's an impact, you'd have to be a fool to not say that, but it's not a significant impact."

The group attempting to bring casinos to Ohio has worked feverishly collecting signatures over the past few months. They delivered over double the necessary signatures to have the referendum put on the ballot in November.

The group wants casinos in Toledo, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. Ohio voters have turned away these proposals before, but a recent poll indicates that many Ohioans, like Governor Strickland, have softened their stance on the issue.

July 17, 2009
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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