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Even a gambling operation opposes Issue 6
Published on Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008
What irks the Pennsylvania-based firm is that Issue 6, a proposed amendment to the Ohio constitution, would grant a monopoly to another gambling operation, Lakes Entertainment of Minnesota. Lakes wants to build a massive casino complex near Wilmington in struggling Clinton County.
Penn National, of course, worries about its own survival. It owns Toledo's Raceway Park and a riverboat casino in Indiana, near Cincinnati.
Still, Penn has a point. Issue 6 is even worse than a similar ballot initiative two years ago, which would have opened the door to seven racetrack owners and two Cleveland developers to operate electronic slot machines, with no competitive bidding.
This battle between gambling interests should serve to remind Ohioans of the larger stakes. The two companies are fighting so hard because they have so much to gain at the expense of Ohioans.
The committee backing Issue 6, MyOhioNow, makes the point in its television ads that gambling dollars are flowing out of Ohio and into the coffers of neighboring states. What backers don't say is that most of the profits from their casino would go to Minnesota. And the jobs here? Relatively low-paying, dead-end service jobs.
Further, there is no guarantee that a 30 percent tax on gross receipts (less payouts) would generate the $240 million MyOhioNow projects, with the lure that most of the money would flow back to Ohio counties. The rate is a maximum, and could be adjusted by the legislature. If tax-free Indian gaming comes in, the tax burden on the Clinton County facility would drop to zero.
Even if the money flows, the state, with pressing budget problems, could easily reduce local government funds to counties. Voters will likely miss the distinction and the need to raise taxes. After all, many believe the Ohio Lottery fixed school funding.
Ohioans have rejected casino-style gambling three times since 1990. Those in opposition, gathered under the ''Vote No Casinos Committee,'' correctly emphasize the social impact, the expanded number of Ohioans addicted to gambling driving up the social cost of dealing with families driven into debt.
Is Issue 6 a tool for economic development? Yes, for the casino owner. Otherwise, it's a loser.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 11:28 AM, 10/02/2008
What exactly are you thinking? Do you people personally have relatives that are problem gamblers? This will bring jobs into this state and will create a fun atmosphere. You seem to be under the elusion that casinos are forcing people to come and play. People play for ENTERTAINMENT. Every time this issue comes up this whole paper is SO conservative. We need gaming in Ohio.
