Ohio Voters Say "Yes" To Casino Gambling, Issue 3 Approved

It has been a long wait for proponents of casino gambling in Ohio, but their tenacity has finally paid off. On Tuesday, voters came to a landmark decision by passing Issue 3, meaning four casino resorts will be built in the state.

This was the fifth time that the casino gambling issue has appeared on the ballot in Ohio, but it is the first time that voters have said yes to casinos. It follows a growing trend in the US for casino expansion.

Many states have expanded their casino gambling laws in the past several years. The recession has left lawmakers looking for ways to increase revenue, and casinos have become the idea of choice. The battle in Ohio was long and hard, but finally the pro-gambling groups can rejoice.

Much of the credit for having Issue 3 passed goes to the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee. They ran an almost flawless campaign that gave voters the education necessary to make the important decision.

While anti-gambling groups focused on the same outdated scare tactics, the Jobs and Growth Committee offered reasons for why casinos would be good for the state. Among the top reasons were the increase in revenue the state would receive and the thousands of jobs that will be created.

"This is a good day for the state of Ohio," said resident Mark Brohman, "The people of Ohio have been hit hard by the recession and hopefully this is another step that will help get families back on their feet."

The vote was close on Issue 3. The polls in recent weeks had indicated that around fifty-seven percent of voters were in favor of the casino gambling initiative. In fact, the final vote came down with a fifty-three percent approval rating. The vote was 1,003,591 in favor of Issue 3, to 884,543 against.

Casinos have now been approved for Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo.

November 4, 2009
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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