Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

One of the strongest benefits of bringing gambling to Northeast Ohio will be the $75 million that can be used by the region to stimulate economic development, said Joe Roman, president of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. GCP is one of the groups that crafted the constitutional amendment that is state Issue 3 on the Nov. 7 ballot. In a pitch Wednesday to the Crain's editorial board, Mr. Roman touted the $850 million in college scholarships that his group says will be a significant benefit of bringing first slot machines and then table games to Northeast Ohio. But he conceded that part of the reason for his group's support was the belief that there was no other way to get the economic development seed money GCP believes the region needs. He compared that to the billboards he sees around the area that promote gambling casinos in Michigan, New York State, West Virginia and Canada - and, indirectly, the broader investment in their regional economies the casinos bring along. He said he couldn't imagine a similar billboard that read, "Invest in Ohio, We Don't Have Gambling" providing the same economic boost. The group chose to make the issue a constitutional amendment, he said, "because we don't have a legislature willing to deal with the issue." Mr. Roman predicted that, if the issue passes overwhelmingly in Northeast Ohio, "we'll get table gaming" in Ohio.