Casinos a hang-up for slots Columbus Dispatch Politics

I am a slots player from Columbus who travels to Wheeling WV frequently. I am not sure what " Video Slots" means. If they are not regular casino slots, I would still drive to Wheeling if these slots proposed are those that are not of this quality. I would love slot playing closer to home and would frequent it.

If Strickland gets his slots approved, who's going to vote for the casino issue. Slots pay 50% tax, casinos pay 33%. Isn't that a no brainer?

Last week during testimony on the slots issue, a spokesman for Scioto Downs said the ownership company is willing to spend up to $8 million to oppose the casino issue. What if the company took that $8 million, placed $2 million in an improvement fund for the backside and other areas & guaranteed $1 million a year for six years to be placed in a bonus fund for Ohio-breds that win races there?

These track owners scream "poverty," but it is not the case...by a long-shot.

And what is the problem with competition for the entertainment dollar, especially when the casino plan will provide a small percentage of funding to benefit horse racing in the state? The "smokescreen" is the slots issue was a power play by track owners - a number who are from outside the state - and their sycophants on the Ohio State Racing Commission to have a monopoly on expanded gaming that falls way short of the potential profits and benefits to the family farmers statewide who breed/train/own/race Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds.

The people will not support the issue in Nov if the G tells them not to. People of Ohio go with what the G wants and that has been proven for years. Put the slots in at the tracks and save the 15000 jobs in the horse industry. The tracks will have to pay more money than the four cassions will. 65 million * 7 and the ballot one is 50 * 4

YOU DO THAT MATH!!!!!!!!!!

You most be with Penn Gaming? O yeah you are penn gaming.... Why dont you put a million into raceway park if its such a good idea?

RDC wrote:

Last week during testimony on the slots issue, a spokesman for Scioto Downs said the ownership company is willing to spend up to $8 million to oppose the casino issue. What if the company took that $8 million, placed $2 million in an improvement fund for the backside and other areas & guaranteed $1 million a year for six years to be placed in a bonus fund for Ohio-breds that win races there?
These track owners scream "poverty," but it is not the case...by a long-shot.
And what is the problem with competition for the entertainment dollar, especially when the casino plan will provide a small percentage of funding to benefit horse racing in the state? The "smokescreen" is the slots issue was a power play by track owners - a number who are from outside the state - and their sycophants on the Ohio State Racing Commission to have a monopoly on expanded gaming that falls way short of the potential profits and benefits to the family farmers statewide who breed/train/own/race Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds.

It's about time that Ohio Has opened it's eyes and joined other states that are taking money from all the Ohioians that drive to their locations to spend money on their slots etc. For years the racetracks have been trying to get Ohio to see all the revenue that could be taken in from these measures. Surrounding States have taken in a tremendous amount of Ohio's lost revenue, so I say Get "Em going!!!

I retired from horse racing because of my move to Flroida and mostly because of the struggle for horsemen to make ends meet. The purses are so poor and the quality of horses are just as bad. Hopefully, with the addition of the slots, the track conditions will improve and the quality of racing will definately improve. There are SO many people involved in racing that live beyond the backside. Many,many people will be effected by this bill and many jobs will be saved and created. Cudos to Strickland.

racetracks are a dieing breed.young people dont go to race tracks..if these people runing race tracks cant compete in the business world then get out..where do they think this money is coming from,i hope not from hard working people..las vegas is having problemswith no construction and layoffs because califorina is broke..the rate of takein the ohio proposal is too high--58%.anyone playing slots at race tracks would be stupid..this would cause people to continue going out of state.if you have to gamble vote for casinos not slots for greedy race track owners..

You have no idea what your talking about the pay out of the VLT is the same as Vegas and Indiana get your facts straight so you dont look like a 100 % liar

LIAR

jerry worthington ohio wrote:

racetracks are a dieing breed.young people dont go to race tracks..if these people runing race tracks cant compete in the business world then get out..where do they think this money is coming from,i hope not from hard working people..las vegas is having problemswith no construction and layoffs because califorina is broke..the rate of takein the ohio proposal is too high--58%.anyone playing slots at race tracks would be stupid..this would cause people to continue going out of state.if you have to gamble vote for casinos not slots for greedy race track owners..

Apparently places like Las Vegas have managed to slots and casinos co-exist for a good many years and currently numerous Indian reservations have also figured out how to handle this. But the politicians in the State of Ohio have no clue as to how to go about this. Perhaps they need to contact Las Vegas and/or some of the Indian tribes who now have casinos and find out how this is done. That is, if they can take a few minutes away from the finger pointing and the garnering of their 15 mins. of fame, over and over.
This state is on life support. Stop the wrangling and infighting and start and put all that energy towards find viable solutions.

Racetracks:
License Fee =$65 Million each
Tax Rate = 50%

Casino proposal on balot:
License Fee =$50 Million
Tax Rate = 33%

If you put the slots in the tracks, who will vote for the casino issue? If it attacks the budget revenue, no one will support it. Just like a casino company to propose a bad deal for the state. I like the fact that Strickland can negotiate with the tracks when they need it the most. Tighten the screws on the tracks and get it done. Either way, balance the budget!

jerry worthington ohio wrote:

racetracks are a dieing breed.young people dont go to race tracks..if these people runing race tracks cant compete in the business world then get out..where do they think this money is coming from,i hope not from hard working people..las vegas is having problemswith no construction and layoffs because califorina is broke..the rate of takein the ohio proposal is too high--58%.anyone playing slots at race tracks would be stupid..this would cause people to continue going out of state.if you have to gamble vote for casinos not slots for greedy race track owners..

For the third time there isent a casino in the USA that pays 58% or they would be out of business. Casinos pay 85% or more and these facts are listed monthly in Strictly Slots magazine which Ive been a subscriber two for ten years. The back pages of it are devoted to alphabetically listing states and their casinos with all the donomination of each machine and its percentage payout. It also highlights the highest payouts. You can check this out (again for the third time) either at your local library or google Strictly Slots Magazine and check it out for yourself instead of making up lies just because your against it. I guess what your post says is that anyone would be stupid to believe you. I am with Gov. Strickland on this one.

Paul wrote:

<quoted text>For the third time there isent a casino in the USA that pays 58% or they would be out of business. Casinos pay 85% or more and these facts are listed monthly in Strictly Slots magazine which Ive been a subscriber two for ten years. The back pages of it are devoted to alphabetically listing states and their casinos with all the donomination of each machine and its percentage payout. It also highlights the highest payouts. You can check this out (again for the third time) either at your local library or google Strictly Slots Magazine and check it out for yourself instead of making up lies just because your against it. I guess what your post says is that anyone would be stupid to believe you. I am with Gov. Strickland on this one.

This person has been posting false info on the dispatch site for a couple weeks about the slots. He either works for the State of Indiana or Penn National. Fortunately, no one is listening to him anymore.

Paul wrote:

<quoted text>For the third time there isent a casino in the USA that pays 58% or they would be out of business. Casinos pay 85% or more and these facts are listed monthly in Strictly Slots magazine which Ive been a subscriber two for ten years. The back pages of it are devoted to alphabetically listing states and their casinos with all the donomination of each machine and its percentage payout. It also highlights the highest payouts. You can check this out (again for the third time) either at your local library or google Strictly Slots Magazine and check it out for yourself instead of making up lies just because your against it. I guess what your post says is that anyone would be stupid to believe you. I am with Gov. Strickland on this one.

Paul, I was talking about "Jerry Worthington", not you. He also posts under a few different names.

Yes to the slot's at the racetrack's. The State would receive about 14% more revenue from the Governor's plan than the casino's that woiuld be on the ballot.

John wrote:

Yes to the slot's at the racetrack's. The State would receive about 14% more revenue from the Governor's plan than the casino's that woiuld be on the ballot.

That's about $200+ Million/year plus $255 Million more in up front license fees. That's the current plan. We really only know the economics from what's in the paper or the news, but since the tracks are down, the Gov might be able to squeeze a little more out of them.

Jerry.. People aren't going to the tracks physically but they are using their phones and computers.

Sure. Horse betting is down nationally but in this economy not too many industries are thriving.

Thank you Gov Strickland for supporting vido lottery terminals (VLT's) at the 7 horse racetracks in Ohio. This represents a significant change in your position over the years. Your flexibility is remarkable because it appears that you are focused upon addressing the budget problem and not engaging in wasteful politicing.

Looking at the big picture is would seem that Sen Harris and Sen Wagoner, both Republicans, are playing politics by not supporting the Gov. It is widely beleived that Sen Harris said that he would support racetrack VLTs if Gov Strickland would. Now that the Gov supports the racetrack VLT initiative Sen Harris is reversing his position.

The livelihoods of 16,000 people who are employed in Ohio's equine industry are being played with by a couple of Senators. These elected officials appear to forget that they are in office to serve the people - not the latest special interest group or their own political ego.

Racetrack VLTs will be managed by the State Lottery. These VLT's can be responsibly placed in established gaming facilities - the racetracks. Having competing standalone casino's in Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincy would dilute the pizzaz that racetrack VLTs would have. In addition, it is reported that free standing casino's (again not to be confused with racetracks) would pay less of a "takeoput" to the State of Ohio. Therefore a $1 wagered at a casino would result in less $$ to the State of Ohio versus a $1 spent on a racetrack VLT.

A Republican that has consistanly been a vocal supporter of racetrack VLT's is Sen Seitz from Cincy. If the racetrack VLT plans fail than the economy in Ohio will be hurt when it could have been helped. Without racetrack VLTs the Republican re election platform could be to raise taxes in order to shrink the budget gap. The 16,000 equine workers in Ohio will not take this. There will be a large groud swell of support for other political party options. I say this as a registered Republican.

Implemented properly, racetrack VLTs can enhance employment, agriculture (hay, feed), truck sales, veterinary medicine, and a host of industry that supports horses and agriculture. What would standalone casono's support? More employment? Maybe. But to my thinkling they would not have the diverse impact of VLTs at racetacks. Our State has a strong and proud agricultural identity. Racetrack VLTs support this.

One equine professional said that his client bred 2 mares this week because of Gov Stricklands support of VLTs at racetracks. This little bit of opitmism demonstrates how quickly racetrack VLTs can begin to impact the local economy (stud fee, vet care, hay, grain, fencing, etc).

The indians were here first, let them have one !!!!! YOU stole their land.