Ohio Preparing Gambling Expansion Before Casinos Exist

Ohio has been behind in the gambling game for so long, that lawmakers may feel the need to catch up quickly. While none of the four voter-approved casinos have yet to open, lawmakers will consider a bill this week that will expand gambling to include slots at race tracks in the state.

Several years ago, Ohio voters finally reversed a trend of voting against casino measures. For decades, voters had turned away attempt after attempt at bringing new gaming facilities to Ohio. When the recession hit, voters finally caved and authorized four new casinos, two each owned by Penn National Gaming and Rock Gaming.

Now, before those casinos in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo are open, legislators have found a way to bring even more gaming tax revenue to the state budget. The proposal that made it out of committee would add slots at tracks, offer longer hours of operation for charitable bingo, and increase oversight within the gaming industry.

The one aspect of the bill that was cut, however, in committee, was a mandatory two percent of the revenue going towards helping problem gamblers. The two percent is a standard number that dozens of states have included in gambling expansion. The inclusion of a percent for gambling addiction treatment and prevention has helped sway some anti-gaming lawmakers to vote in favor of gambling bills.

Ohio, like many other states, has been struggled economically since the recession. The four casinos approved by voters are expected to ease that burden with hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue. Governor John Kasich reworked the deal that Penn National and Rock Gaming was awarded with the favorable vote of residents, and ensured that more money would come to the state.

Problem gambling is always on the minds of anti-gaming groups, and the exclusion of the two percent tax could cost the bill some votes in the House. Even if the House was to pass the bill, it is expected that the legislation would have an uphill battle to get past both the Senate and the governor.

Ohio is one of dozens of states that has turned to casino gambling as a way to beat the recession. Florida, Massachusetts, Maine, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland are just some of the states that have authorized casinos in the past two years.

New Jersey and Nevada, the gaming capitals of the US, have both turned their attention to online gambling. Nevada lawmakers have already passed an online gambling regulation bill, while New Jersey voters approved sports betting in the last election. Neither state has implemented the new gaming laws as of yet.

February 13, 2012
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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