Over 1,100 Ohio Signatures Collected for Casino Initiative

At the polls around Ohio Tuesday, a petition was circulated for the MyOhioNow.com Casino initiative. The petition was able to collect more than 1,100 signatures.

The MyOhioNow.com casino plan calls for building a $600 million casino in Clinton County, Ohio along Interstate-71, not too far from Cincinnati. The web site claims the large casino would employ 5,000 Ohioans and generate around $200 million in state tax revenue. The revenue would then be divided among Ohio's 88 counties on a per capita basis.

And it appears this initiative has a large majority of Ohio voters on its side. According to a recent statewide poll conducted by the reputable firm SurveyUSA, a whopping 68% of Ohioans approve of legalized casino gambling in Ohio.

The proponents of the plan claim its different from past casino initiatives in that it calls for only one casino at a single location. While obviously true, it is not clear how that is an advantage to this specific plan. On their web site, the organizers claim the location in Clinton County would be close to all the major population centers in Ohio. That's simply not true. Northeastern Ohioans, such as myself, are actually closer to the casinos in Michigan and Ontario by driving time than we are to this proposed site in Clinton County.

Casinos scattered throughout Ohio would ensure maximum tax revenue and large volume of visitors. Clevelanders will not travel down to Clinton County when they can go to Detroit or Windsor and save an hour driving. I think any plan for legalization of casinos in Ohio should include at least 3 locations. One casino each for the metro areas of Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Nonetheless, any amount of casino gambling in Ohio is a definite step in the right direction.

Another thing is that they were only able to collect 1,100 signatures throughout the state on Tuesday? Millions of Ohioans voted, the most in any primary before, and they were only able to secure 1,100 signatures? That seems kinda...pathetic. Their web site says they need to collect 402,275 from all 88 counties in Ohio. I hope their very close to that number of this initiative will likely never make the ballot in November.

Turn Around Ohio.....with Club Keno!

In 2006 as a candidate for Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland vigorously opposed an amendment on the fall ballot legalizing casino gambling. The Earn-and-Learn Initiative would have sent a portion of the funds raised from casinos to fund Ohio public schools. I have long been a proponent of casino gambling. The tangibles benefits in instant revenue, jobs, tourism, hotels, restaurants, etc. are very significant. And a struggling state like Ohio needs any and all economic activity it can develop. Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania, riverboats on the Ohio River, and now Kentucky have realized this truth. All have or are in the process of legalizing gambling.

For his part, Strickland is trying to wipe away Ohio's widening budget deficit with a video gambling game called Club Keno. It's like a mini super lotto game where players pick numbers while placing a wager, and numbers are drawn every few minutes or hours. But for some reason, Strickland is still claiming he is opposed to casino gambling. Why? Strickland is making a distinction without a difference. The Toledo Blame ran an unusually scathing editorial of a Democrat because of this Club Keno plan--going so far as to call it "hypocritical" of the anti-gambling Strickland to propose it.

I applaud Strickland for bringing some form of gambling to the table in Ohio. Ohio Republicans have shamefully been opposed to any form of gambling for reasons of family values. Gag me.

But make no mistake about it, Club Keno is most definitely a form of gambling. Just because it doesn't include Blackjack tables or Russian roulette, doesn't mean it isn't gambling. Strickland is certainly being disingenuous with this plan and needs to call it what everyone already knows it as--gambling. Strickland's main objection to legalized gambling appears to be the fear of rampant addiction and blowing an innocent kid's college fund. But the risk of addiction to Club Keno is as possible as addiction to Craps or Poker. (As is the potential for addiction to Ohio's SuperLotto or on Ohio's horse tracks).

And while Strickland is trying to solve Ohio's budget woes with increased use of gambling, he might as well bring full scale casino gambling to Ohio. Every year Ohio loses out on a great economic opportunity to keep gambling and associated tourism here in Ohio. Ohioans constantly travel to Detroit, Windsor, or West Virginia for gambling. And in the short term, the building and operation of big casinos could take a bite out of Ohio's 6% (and growing) unemployment rate. Another lost opportunity in Ohio.