With Casinos On The Way, Ohio Cracks Down On Illegal Gambling

Voters in the state of Ohio approved four casinos in the election last November. Now, authorities are starting to crack down on the possible competition for those casinos. This week, a gambling raid took place across fourteen bars in Middletown.

On Wednesday morning, authorities from the state and local agencies began their crackdown on establishments that were offering their customers illegal gambling machines. The raids netted over $1 million dollars and the bars were cited.

Under the current laws in Ohio, gambling machines are illegal. The machines, however, are popular at bars not only in Ohio, but around the US. The gaming laws have changed after the last election, with casino gambling authorized for Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo.

Authorities around the country have been cracking down on the illegal video gambling machines for much of the past year. In Ohio, there was never a real reason to raid the bars, until now. The casinos are expected to bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue for the state, and any competition would be taking away revenue from the state.

Ohio voters have been opposed to casino gambling for decades. There have been several proposals for casinos that have been shot down in the past. This time, however, the need for new jobs and revenue for the state budget made voters reconsider the issue.

Casino gambling has become one of the fastest growing industries in the US since the economic recession. Lawmakers have proposed casinos as relief for the tough economic times, and voters everywhere have responded. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers recently legalized table games for the state's casinos. The table games will allow Pennsylvania to compete with New Jersey for gamblers in the Northeast.

January 29, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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