U.S. Sen. George Voinovich has been against the idea of casinos in Ohio since his days as Cleveland's mayor.
While he's always been opposed to gambling from a philosophical standpoint, he seems particularly upset at what developers would pay in licensing fees under this amendment -- $50 million -- a paltry sum compared to what's been paid in neighboring states, which Voinovich argues is at least five times more.
Opponents claim the same holds true with tax revenues. A study conducted for the Ohio Licensed Beverage Association by a pair of Hiram College professors claims the state should be taxing casino revenues by more than the 33 percent proposed in Issue 3. They compare the rate being collected in neighboring Pennsylvania, at 55 percent, arguing Ohio would be losing $473 million dollars a year.
But during a forum this month with the Cleveland City Club, Youngstown mayor Jay Williams repeatedly told the audience his greatest concern was for the state's Constitution.
Williams is one of a number of elected leaders named as co-chairs of an anti-gambling group known as Truth-PAC, which has received a lot of its funding from owners of MTR Gaming. MTR operates the Mountaineer resort in West Virgina, as well as a casino in Erie, Pa. Supporters argue the Ohio Elections Commission has already uncovered incorrect statements from Truth-PAC officials, but the mayor isn't backing down.
One last point: the language contained in the Issue 3 Amendment would not only permit casinos to be built in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo, it automatically allows developers to add new machines or table games as soon as they would be approved in neighboring states as a way of eliminating competition.
One more reason opponents call Issue 3 a "sweetheart deal" for developers.
