MAHONING VALLEY Slots debate: Around it goes

Opponents say gambling destroys families, while supporters say Ohio money is leaving the state.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Members of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Senior Citizens club in Austintown enjoy going to Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort every now and then to bet on the horse races and, of course, to play the slots.
"It's a fun activity that a lot of us enjoy," said Helen Venglarik, president of the 120-member senior club in Austintown. "Sometimes we take bus trips there, and other times, we go in our cars."
The Royal Seniors, which has 132 members from the Poland area, visit Mountaineer monthly. About 90 percent of the members go to Mountaineer, the most popular trip for the senior organization, said Lena Alfona, its co-founder.
"They look forward to it all the time," she said. "They love the slots."
Senate proposal
So a proposal by Ohio Senate Republican leaders to put video slot machines at the state's seven horse-racing tracks, including nearby Thistledown, would definitely interest the two clubs' memberships, Venglarik and Alfona said.
"We'd be 100 percent for the slots," Alfona said. "Why go somewhere else when we can certainly use the revenue here?"
Senate Republican leadership said the video slot machines proposal would raise at least $500 million annually in additional revenue for the state.
Right now, supporters argue, Ohioans travel to surrounding states with legalized gambling -- such as West Virginia, Indiana and Michigan -- spending millions that could be spent in the Buckeye State.
Opponents of the proposal say the state should not legalize video slot machines, which would encourage compulsive gambling habits and destroy the moral fiber of families. Also, opponents say Ohioans have twice rejected statewide initiatives to legalized gambling, proving they don't want it.
Gov. Bob Taft has vowed to veto the video slot machine bill if it passes, and has said any proposal to legalize gambling should be placed before the state's voters.
Supporters
Judy Lazar of Youngstown and Harold Wilson have gambled at Mountaineer in Chester, W.Va., as well as other places including Las Vegas and Detroit and support the video slot machine proposal.
"My husband and I enjoy playing the slots," she said. "... I would like it if Ohio would get some of the royalties here as well as less time traveling to these other places for all of us who enjoy the slots."
Wilson said it is about time that the state legalize slot machines.
"Each of us know so many people who go elsewhere to play," he said. "With such a mobile society, it takes very little effort to pursue this recreation. ... My goal is not to win lots of money, but just have some fun. I have concerns about problem gamblers, but programs need to be in place before gaming laws change in Ohio. With proper preparation, other forms of gambling can be introduced."
Opponents
Gary Dickens of Columbiana used to be a frequent visitor to Mountaineer, but he came away with a different opinion than Lazar and Wilson.
"I've seen first-hand how addictive they can be," he said of video slots. "I've seen people lose thousands of dollars time after time. The argument can be made that we should keep Ohio money in Ohio, but I am convinced the further away they are, the better."
Jim Parry of Mineral Ridge -- who used to live in Wheeling, W.Va., and handled advertising for the dog track in that city -- said gambling isn't always the answer to generating money for states.
"I don't think the gambling thing works as well as its supporters let on," he said. "... Furthermore, such things just contribute to gambling addictions; like we need more of that."
The Rev. Jay Alford, pastor emeritus of Highway Tabernacle Church in Austintown who has been involved locally in defeating other legalized gambling proposals, said he understands why some politicians support the video slot machine initiative.
"The urgency of trying to find a funding mechanism to close the deficit is a major motivation," he said. "But the people in Ohio have voted two times against casinos. We don't want it here."
The Rev. Lewis Macklin II, senior pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Youngstown, said he has seen the devastation gambling addiction has on families.
"Gambling takes money from those who need it most," he said. "I have a hard time with the state sanctioning gambling. It's predatory and as friendly as being in shark-infested waters with a bloody nose. The argument is people will go across the state line to gamble. But just because everyone does it, doesn't make it right. The system is designed for people to fail."
Boardman Township Trustee Thomas Costello said the state is taking too much of a gamble on video slots balancing its budget.
"Also, the people who historically play the slots can't afford to play them," he said. "We'd be attempting to balance the budget on the backs of a lot of people who can't afford to gamble. It concerns me if the state goes in that direction. There's also a very strong social concern. I don't believe in a large government, but I believe we need to protect people from themselves."
Hagan's stance
State Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, said he is not morally opposed to the video slot machines, but Senate Republicans shouldn't count on him to vote in favor of the proposal without offering him something in return.
"My vote is contingent on how they treat my district," he said. "I want to bargain my vote for the benefit of my district. I'm not giving my vote away anymore."
The revenue raised by the slot machines will help the financially struggling state, but will not keep Ohio out of the red, Hagan said.
"I'm not a big fan of gambling," he said. "Does it hurt the poor and the middle class? Sure, it does. But people continue to gamble, and we continue to lose money to other states."
Carano, Boccieri
State Rep. Kenneth A. Carano of Austintown, D-65th, supports the idea of placing video slot machines at the racetracks, but said the proposal being considered by the state Senate needs modifications before he could support it.
The bill calls for 52 percent of the profits to go to the state lottery to fund education with the rest going to the racetracks, and to counties and cities in which the tracks are located. Carano wants to increase the state's percentage.
"It's either higher taxes or going to a gambling situation, and I favor gambling," Carano said about generating money for the state. "We're long overdue for this. The surrounding states are already ahead of us."
State Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-57th, said he is "somewhat indifferent" to the gambling proposal, but he will support it because most of his constituents favor it.
"I don't have any major issues of morality about gambling," he said. "People make those decisions themselves."
skolnick@vindy.com