With the Ohio government facing all kinds of budgets and loss of jobs, officials are looking at different ways to raise revenues for the state. One method that seems to appeal to many Republicans is the installation of slot machines at seven race tracks.
Sen. Lou Blessing, R-Cincinnati, first introduced a Senate joint resolution on May 8 to give the public a chance to vote on having slot machines at horse race tracks on the Nov. 6 referendum last year. But his 2001 resolution never made it to the ballot. His 2002 bill is now up for a vote in the Senate.
Republicans will have no problems passing the bill in the Senate, since they hold a 21-12 majority. However, Republicans want to include an emergency clause in the bill that would allow the bill to take effect immediately without the usual 90-day waiting period. Then opponents would not have the chance for a referendum on its enactment.
Two previous bills favoring riverboat casinos came up in the legislature. The bills were defeated in 1990 and 1996. But gambling, particularly the video slot machines, would be a great way to raise revenues.
According to a study done in the spring of 1999 by Crowe Chizek, a company located in Indianapolis, Ind., the slot machines would have created about $804 million in revenue during the first running year. The study assumed 1,500 slot machines would be placed at each location.
Half of the revenues are to go to the horse tracks. The state will reap the other half, and there are certainly a number of programs that could use the extra money.
For example, the money could help pay for higher education. Instead of Gov. Bob Taft cutting the higher education budget each year, it would be nice to see Ohio universities getting a little more money to work with. Instead of being the 41st smartest state, Ohio might be able to climb up a few notches.
Not only would Ohio receive more money, but more tourists would also visit the state. The amount of people who visit Ohio to play the slots could total 10.8 million a year.
There are religious conservatives who think the government should not install any slots, believing any form of gambling to be wrong. Groups such as the Ohio Roundtable and Freedom Forum and the Columbus United Methodist Council don’t believe gambling should be legalized.
According to these groups, gambling adds to social problems such as gambling addiction, bankruptcy, crime, domestic violence and divorce. However, no new establishments will be built for the slots. Instead, the slots will be placed at horse tracks, which already exist. So, while not taking away from the gambling problem, the addition of another form of gambling to an area that already has it does not lend itself to increasing negative side effects — it instead just gives more options of gambling.
Unfortunately, our governor is against new sources of revenue. He is ready to veto any gambling bill expected to come his way.
Taft should realize how important the money is to the state. In a time where the budget is tight, and more programs risk closure, the money will be needed.
