Ohio May Claim Its Own

It has been going on for years.  Citizens of West Virginia have been profiting directly from the pockets of Ohio.  With no slot machines in the state, Ohio residents are forced to migrate down to West Virginia venues like Wheeling Downs and Mountaineer Racetrack at Chester. 

Ohio now has a chance to turn that around.  If a group of Ohio racetrack owners and developers achieve their goal, the November ballot will carry a proposal for a constitutional amendment that would allow Ohio’s seven racetracks to carry slot machines.  This includes Cincinnati and Cleveland. 

Supporters of Ohio slot machines intend to use the revenues for social and educational good.  Each year, $700 million will go toward college scholarships.  $200 million, each year, will support economic development in all 88 of Ohio’s counties. 

Representative Bill Seitz of Cincinnati (R), gave his bleak prediction of Ohio’s continued missed potential should they not endorse slot machines.  Seitz warned, “Ohio is losing hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to neighboring states, and its’ only going to get worse when Pennsylvania comes on line shortly.”

In 2004, Pennsylvania passed a bill legalizing slot machines.  Currently a number of casino operators are vying for one of fourteen licenses to operate slot machine parlors all across the state. 

It would be wise of Ohio voters to approve the proposal should the group muster enough votes to get it on the November ballot.  Whether gambling and slot machines are legalized in Ohio or not, people will continue to play their luck.  If Ohio does not want the money, there will certainly be another state that would have it.

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