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Partners to roll dice in asking voters once again to amend state Constitution to allow gambling
By Dennis J. Willard
Beacon Journal Columbus Bureau
Published on Friday, Mar 14, 2008
On paper it looks impressive.
Two million total square feet, including a casino partially under glass that consumes roughly one-tenth of the space, a 1,500-room luxury hotel, spas, a massive conference center, upscale restaurants, retail shops and a live theater complex.
There will be manicured trees, enough parking for 10,000 cars, even the kids will have their own arcade and entertainment area. Pets will be welcome, too.
The latest effort to bring casino gambling to Ohio now has a form, a location and as expected, opposition.
On Wednesday, backers unveiled specific plans — including an artist's rendering of what is being pitched as the ultimate Ohio resort destination site — to media members just two weeks before the public will be exposed to a blitz of advertising designed to win the hearts and votes of the state's electorate.
With an initiative petition drive in full swing, Rick Lertzman, a partner in the proposal, predicted voters will once again this November have an opportunity to amend the Ohio Constitution to allow casino gam
bling in the state.
Lertzman and Bradford Pressman from the Cleveland area are partnering with an unnamed private company in the gaming business that will provide the financial backing for the casino.
The amendment, if it makes the fall ballot, would restrict casino gambling to one site in Clinton County in Southwest Ohio, conveniently near the state Route 73 exit from Interstate 71.
Pressman said the spot was selected because it is centrally located between Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton and is a gas tank's drive from Northeast Ohio.
The pair believe the outcome at the polls this time — unlike three failed attempts by others in 1990, 1996 and 2006 — will be different, and Ohio will have the largest, most attractive casino gambling and entertainment complex in the Midwest by spring 2010.
There will be 4,000 to 5,000 slot machines, a poker room with 20 or more tables, about 100 table games including craps and roulette, a golf course and a championship shooting course that features skeet shooting.
New approach
Lertzman said their approach is different from past failed attempts to convince voters to open up casinos in the state.
For example, 30 percent of the gross casino receipts would be set aside for gambling prevention (1 percent), state administrative expenses (less than 2 percent), and the remainder divided among Clinton County (10 percent) and the other 87 counties based on population.
County government would decide how to spend the money with no strings attached. Summit County would be in line to receive $10 million a year, Stark County $7 million and Cuyahoga County $27 million, Lertzman said. He noted previous efforts to approve casino gambling failed in part because voters did not trust sending the money to Columbus.
There will be no wild promises to fund education — higher or primary and secondary — and no pitch this time to salvage Ohio's horse-racing industry.
Lertzman and Pressman said they are not trying to fool the public with euphemisms, and the advertising will use the words ''casino'' and ''gambling'' while focusing on a theme of making Ohio a fun state for residents and families from other states.
The ads will feature prominent celebrities, unnamed at this point, and will emphasize the 5,000 jobs promised.
Pressman said union labor will be used to build the complex when possible, the prevailing wage will be paid, and the average job will pay around $34,000 a year with health benefits and 401(k) plans.
Ohio is competing with Kentucky to become the 39th state that permits some form of casino gambling.
In past unsuccessful campaigns, the Ohio Roundtable has led the effort to convince voters to reject casino gambling.
Rob Walgate, the roundtable's vice president, said his organization is monitoring the new proposal and will mount a fight if it goes to the ballot.
''We are opposed to it and we don't think Ohioans will want this either,'' Walgate said. ''This is a license to make money for the owners, and they will not deliver what is being promised to Ohio.''
Tribal casinos possible
Walgate said although backers maintain the amendment will restrict casino gambling to one site, the proposal will open the door to tribal interests.
The Shawnee Indian Tribe in Ohio has attempted in recent years to move forward with plans to open casinos on land in western Ohio near Lima.
Alan P. Meister, vice president of the Analysis Group Inc. in Los Angeles, said federal law dictates that any recognized tribe in Ohio would be able to build casinos if the amendment passes.
''While they say their amendment limits casinos to one site, if Ohio puts in a commercial casino then you've just opened the door wide for any recognized tribe in the state,'' Meister said.
Meister, an economist who issues an annual report on tribal gaming, said Ohio could still be open to tribal gaming without an amendment allowing the Clinton County site, but approval would make it much easier for a tribal claim.
John Kindt, a University of Illinois professor in business and legal policy, said the negatives involved with casinos overwhelm any positive contribution to the state.
''No matter what they promise, the social and crime costs are $3 for every $1 in benefits,'' Kindt said.
Casino operators and politicians continue to ignore scientific studies, Kindt said, including the 1999 National Gambling Impact Study Commission's findings that recommended placing a moratorium then on new gambling and recriminalizing slot machines.
''It's all about addicting new gamblers who will lose everything they have, resort to crime, file for bankruptcy and saddle the rest of us taxpayers with picking up the costs,'' Kindt said.
He said a secret and private company is backing this endeavor, and voters should be wary of any promises of improving the economy, creating jobs and keeping gambling dollars in the state.
''Those are dollars not spent on cars, refrigerators and other consumer goods. You're going to lose jobs in other sectors, and if the economy is not growing you're going to feel this. And guess what, the economy is not growing,'' Kindt said.
Dennis J. Willard can be reached at 614-224-1613 or dwillard@thebeaconjournal.com.
On paper it looks impressive.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Posted 07:18 PM, 10/02/2008
Ohio does not just need one casino. We need at least three.
One in Ashtabula County, one in Lucas County and one in Southern Ohio.
If we had these three, Ohio residents would have easy access and we could compete with all of the states around us that currently take our Ohio money.
Posted 02:23 PM, 10/04/2008
I agree with Ron on the number of casinos. Why should Ohio's tax money go to other states? I believe the people who are against the casino in Ohio are not from Ohio but the other states that boader us and want to keep our renveues.
Posted 09:09 PM, 10/05/2008
I live in Belmont County. Across the river in Wheeling is a casino. Also across the river are nationally recognized schools, well funded schools, that has nothing to do with size of your community. Why would I vote for Cleveland, Columbus or Cincinnati to get a casino, none of that money will be coming to anywhere near me. I pay the same taxes yet nothing comes this way to benefit anything in Jefferson, Belmont, Monroe, Guernsey or Harrison counties that I know of. Its time for Ohio to invest in the whole state.
Posted 04:51 AM, 10/28/2008
While he’s made no bones about his opposition to the payday loan and cash advance industries, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has a new friend that he’s fighting on behalf of: the state’s community of gamblers. In effect, as of August 1, 2008, but being contested by the people on the November 4 state ballot, Strickland says this, a bill that would add Keno to the state’s lottery games, is a valiant effort to raise money for their public schools. The Governor, who is also an ordained Methodist minister, has been taking deep criticisms from people from all walks of life, including members of his own parish. Strickland has defended his views on several occasions, claiming that, despite his opposition to the expansion of gaming, this one’s best for the common good of our children. Another part of this proposal would modify the state constitution to authorize the construction of a $600 million casino near Dayton. With these ideas in mind, this should give the average reader a vivid picture of the state of Ohio’s economy. Governor Strickland is telling his citizens to go out and gamble away their rent or mortgage payments for the sake of their children’s futures. But, when they’ve found themselves short on the funds they saved to buy their children clothes and supplies, Strickland says it’s NOT okay to get temporary funds from a payday lender to accomplish that. Seriously, I don’t see any sense in that.
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