Casino Vice President Schools Opposition At Forum On Issue 6

When you are an opponent of bringing a new casino to your state and you get schooled in a forum regarding the issue you are fighting for, the public tends to back away from your viewpoint. That is the situation that Rob Walgate, the vice president of Issue 6 opposition group AP Roundtable, found himself in on Friday.

Walgate and Lakes Entertainment vice president for brand integration and strategic development Jack Malislow went toe to toe on issues regarding the proposed amendment on the ballot in November. The amendment, if approved, would bring a casino to Clinton County, Ohio.

While Walgate offered up typical arguments and questioned Lakes' ability to deliver on their promise to the state, Malislow was flawless in defending the reasons the casino should become a reality.

At one point in the forum, Malislow questioned the motives of Walgate and his opposition group. "I can't believe that you can look down your nose at 5,000 jobs that pay an average of $34,000 with benefits," he said. He also pointed out that many temporary construction jobs would be generated in the building process.

The current state of the economy was being used by Walgate as a potential reason that the casino would not succeed. Malislow countered that point with the jobs issue, however. At a time when many companies are scaling back and laying off their workers, Lakes Entertainment would be creating new jobs for families who are currently struggling to survive.

Opponents of Issue 6 are also quick to point out that a monopoly could be created with the building of the casino. That notion was quickly countered. "This is not a monopoly. The fact is, right now, people are gambling already. Monopoly is a term that's used in the industry when you don't have competition. We're going to have a lot of competition,' said Malislow.

As the November election is drawing near, Thursday served as another example of how unorganized the efforts to block the casino have become. Forums are not what these opposition groups need.

If they are to keep casino gambling out of Clinton County perhaps they should avoid direct debates with people who have a grasp on the need to help the economy in the state of Ohio.

October 12, 2008
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
Submit News!