Gov. Ted Strickland is “Wildly Optimistic” About Gambling Revenues
James Nash at The Columbus Dispatch compares Strickland’s gambling proposal to what happened in PA:
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is counting on a much quicker turnaround. Strickland’s plan for slot machines at the state’s racetracks – and with it, the foundation of the state’s two-year oper- ating budget – depends on the machines booting up in May.
If Pennsylvania is precedent, Strickland is wildly optimistic.
“From what we went through here, I wouldn’t expect anything to start flowing as far as new gaming revenue for at least a year or two or even more,” said Doug Harbach, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell first proposed the idea in 2003. A year later, lawmakers authorized it. Then came lawsuits, local zoning disputes, public hearings across Pennsylvania and extensive background checks of would-be casino owners.
In addition to these hurdles, Nash goes on to mention that PA also didn’t have the extra burden of dealing with an anti-gambling group like the Ohio Roundtable, who will sue on the grounds that they believe Strickland is stretching the relm of the state constitutional amendment which authorized the state lottery (Article XV, Section 6, which passed on the May 1973 ballot with 63% of the vote).
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