Gambling News by Gambling Headquarters

U.S. Sen. George Voinovich thinks he can keep casino gambling out of Ohio one way or the other. He's not up for re-election this year, but he's traveling the state spearheading the Vote No Casinos effort that is opposing a ballot initiative to bring slot machines to Ohio's seven race tracks and two sites in Cleveland. That initiative, called "Learn and Earn" by its supporters, is State Issue 3 on the Nov. 7 ballot. Back in Washington, Sen. Voinovich he is working on a bill with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to make it harder for Indian tribes to open casinos when state leaders oppose them. The goal is to ensure that federally protected tribal gambling can't enter Ohio should Issue 3 fail, as Sen. Voinovich hopes it will. Sen. Voinovich long has been an opponent of gambling, dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, when he was mayor of Cleveland and the state's governor. But he especially opposes the current issue. "This is an enormous windfall for Tower City Center and Jeff Jacobs," he said, complaining that Issue 3 would specify exactly which developers will own and operate the two free-standing casinos that could be built in Cleveland. "If we're going, from a public policy standpoint, to raise money through casino gambling, this is not the way to do it."

Sen. Voinovich told Crain's editorial staffers at a Tuesday meeting that his opposition to state-sponsored gambling stretches back to a distaste for the Ohio Lottery. He called slot machines "the crack cocaine of gambling," and said gambling most hurts the people who cannot afford the money they lose.

Sen. Voinovich said he fears that should gambling come to the state, payday loan businesses will blossom and mortgage foreclosures will rise.