GAMBLING Voinovich, others unite in opposition

The effect on families is a main concern for casino opponents.
COLUMBUS -- U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich and others opposed to the expansion of legalized gambling promise a vigorous fight against any attempt to broaden gaming in Ohio.
"This issue is about our families," the Republican senator said Tuesday. Voinovich promised to "fend off anything that would hurt our families."
The opposition
Voinovich, a former Ohio governor and mayor of Cleveland, is teaming up with the Ohio Roundtable, Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro, Ohio Auditor Betty D. Montgomery and others to fight gambling. The coalition is in response to a summit of pro-gambling interests planned for Thursday in Columbus. The purpose of the summit is to reach out an agreement to expand legalized gaming in the state.
Pro-gambling interests have invited owners of the seven horse-racing tracks, associated groups and American Indian tribes to participate in the summit, to be held at a private downtown club.
Voinovich was among those who led the opposition in 1996 to an Ohio casino gambling proposal that ultimately failed at the polls. State voters also rejected a casino proposal in 1990.
"It's deja vu all over again," Voinovich said. "They have regrouped."
Voinovich warned that expanded gambling could lead to higher social costs such as spiked crime, divorce and suicide rates.
"This is a real crusade for this senator," Voinovich said.
Petro said gambling proponents have offered promises that expanded gaming could offer increased employment.
"We have all these wonderful promises," said Petro, who's announced he's seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination next year. "It's an empty promise."
In a statement, Montgomery, a Republican who also has announced she plans to run for governor next year, said she believes expanded gambling would harm families.
"If we expand gambling, industry wins," Montgomery's statement said. "Gaming manufacturers win. Organized crime and prostitution rings win.
"But look at who loses -- husbands, wives, children, families, employers and employees."
Prepared to fight again
David Zanotti, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Roundtable, a Strongsville-based business group that has fought gambling, including the 1996 statewide proposal, said opponents will campaign statewide against attempts to expand gambling.
"We will be ready," Zanotti said.
Zanotti said gambling opponents will wait to see what sort of plan emerges from Thursday's meeting among gambling interests. But Zanotti said he anticipated an organized opposition, including possibly television ads.
Where funds would go
Using data it said was from the American Gaming Association, the Roundtable said if every gambler in Ohio stayed instate to gamble rather than going to gaming destinations in neighboring states, the gross revenue would be about $1.3 billion.
Based on a similar effective tax rate at casinos in neighboring Michigan (22 percent), the tax money generated from that revenue would be about $300 million, the Roundtable said, citing its research.
That amount would be tiny compared with the state's annual budget, the Roundtable said.
The current, two-year $48 billion state budget runs through June and lawmakers must enact the next two-year state spending plan by July 1.
Organizers of the so-called gambling summit say it's a fact-finding and exploratory meeting closed to the public.
The purpose is to see if the various interests can come up with a plan that Ohio voters could support, news reports say.
Terry Casey, a Columbus-based consultant hired by the Eastern Shawnee tribe, which has sought agreements with local governments in Botkins and Monroe in western and southwestern Ohio, respectively, and Lorain and Lordstown in northeastern Ohio for tribal casino development, said Ohio needs to look at ways to bring jobs to the state.
"We need to look at new options," Casey said.
But some local activists in areas where the Eastern Shawnee are trying to bring casinos say they are options that are not worthy of attention.
The Rev. John A. Temple, senior pastor of the North-Mar Church in Warren, said bringing more gambling to Ohio would harm areas such as the Mahoning Valley, a former industrial hub that has been hit by job losses.
"It would have a more negative impact than where we are now," Temple said.