Gaming-machine bill fails to garner support

Games of chance are illegal in Ohio, but not games of skill.

By MARC KOVAC

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

COLUMBUS — The top Republican in the Ohio House of Representatives won’t support legislation proposed by the governor and attorney general prohibiting cash payouts from so-called games of skill.

Speaker Jon Husted said the proposal offered by Gov. Ted Strickland and Marc Dann, by his read, would legalize slot machines and games of chance instead of eliminating units already considered illegal under Ohio law.

“I don’t understand it, frankly,” he told reporters after Thursday’s session. “This would legalize all of those machines in every neighborhood in the state.”

Proposed bill

Strickland and Dann are seeking legislation banning cash payouts from electronic amusement machines and disallowing vouchers from the units to be turned in for cash. They also want individual prizes to be limited to $10 or less or aggregate vouchers to $600 or less. Tobacco, liquor or lottery or bingo cards could not be awarded to winners.

Dann said the legislation he and the governor are proposing would set a uniform standard on the amusement machines — something his office and law enforcement could apply when determining whether a device is chance- or skill-based. The former are illegal in the state, while the latter are allowed.

But Husted said offering legislation, as suggested, would actually legalize gambling machines in the state. Such a bill would shift the debate to how much a person could win but not limit what they could lose.

“I don’t believe that they’re legal now,” he said, adding later, “I believe they already are illegal. … This is an unnecessary debate. They should just enforce the law.”

mkovac@dixcom.com