Constitutional Amendment on Ballot in Ohio to Legalize Slot Machines

The state government has validated 341,000 signatures on petitions supporting the so-called "Issue Three," to be a statewide referendum at the November election. The proposed state Constitutional amendment would allow slot machines to be placed at race tracks and casinos in Ohio. There are seven race tracks throughout the Midwestern state and two proposed casinos in Cleveland, on Lake Erie.

A portion of the gambling revenues will be used to fund grants for college tuition, according to a group styling itself the Earn and Learn Committee, a political action committee, which is financing the ballot initiative.

Election Day
If the amendment is passed on election day, to be held on November 7, there could be 3,500 slot machines placed at the eleven gaming facilities, including Scioto Downs in Columbus and Beulah Park in Grove City.

The constitutional amendment would provide 30 percent of the gross revenue from gambling to fund college tuition for middle class families, and. Learn & Earn believes that the slot machines will net $2.84 billion a year, or $852.7 million a year for the tuition grants which may be used at a public or private college in Ohio.

Another group, The Columbus Partnership, backed by local business executives, this month came out against the amendment because it said gambling would not enhance Central Ohio\'s economy and would place Columbus at a competitive disadvantage for convention business and tourism because Cleveland would get two new casinos. The group also said amending the state constitution to allow gambling was poor public policy.

But, there are other business groups that vociferously back the measure. The Greater Cleveland Partnership Greater Cincinnati Chamber, and Ohio Home Builders Association are among about 12 entities that support the initiative.

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County Review
A review by county boards of elections throughout the state of 44,703 signatures filed after Learn and Earn’s  petitions were ruled deficient showed that 26,081, or 59 percent, were legitimate. That was more than enough to close the deficit of 8,716 signatures earlier discovered.

 A TV ad in the Toledo market this summer and followed with a similar statewide campaign that aired the first week of September is being sponsored by Learn and Earn.  

The owners of several racetracks, including Toledo’s Raceway Park, and other businessmen, have vowed to spend $13.5 million to win voter approval at the election.

“For Ohio voters to get the full picture of college scholarships for kids to be able to attend two and four-year in-state colleges, you have to do a broad-based education campaign,” said Ian James, a spokesman for Learn and Earn.

Every nearby state, except Kentucky, permits slot machine gambling.

The other two measures on the ballot this fall seek to raise Ohio’s minimum wage from the federal minimum of $5.15 an hour to $6.85,  and a proposed law prohibiting smoking in all indoor public places – even  at casinos.

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