Church group to fight 24-hour slots in Ohio

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Ohio Council of Churches promised Thursday to fight proposed rules allowing Ohio horse racetracks to operate video slot machines round the clock, with 18-year-olds welcome to play.

Tom Smith, public-policy director for the organization of 17 Christian denominations with more than 3 million members, said the council will lobby against the 24/7 operating hours and slot-machine access for those as young as 18.

He said the rules would make slots enticing to poor urban residents and teens least able to handle gambling debts.

“We believe that putting that in urban areas such as Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati brings to the tables, the slot-machine tables, a whole group of people who don’t have disposable income to spend, and are enticed to spend long hours there trying to correct their financial difficulties,” he said.

As for 18-year-olds, Smith said, “They generally don’t have the funds to do this and are probably not as able to walk away from the tables when they are losing.”

Meanwhile, gambling opponent David Zanotti of the Ohio Roundtable said the business group was reviewing the proposal and plans to file a lawsuit.

“We’ve got a wild, wild West situation. They’re making it up as they go along, and we think it’s going to get worse,” Zanotti said, noting that minors are already permitted in racetracks if accompanied by an adult.

“High school kids who are supposed be helped by lottery — they’ll be dumping their dollars in there, too,” he said.

Ohio would join New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and South Dakota in allowing 18-year-olds to gamble, according to the American Gaming Association trade organization in Washington, D.C. American Indian casinos are often free to set their own gambling rules.

Jeannie Roberts, lottery communications director, said the 24-hour operation was proposed to keep Ohio competitive with neighboring states and provide for more jobs. Allowing 18-year-olds to play is consistent with other games run by the lottery, which considers the video slots a lottery game, she said.

Ohio plans to authorize 2,500 video lottery terminals at each of seven racetracks to help bolster the state budget. Gov. Ted Strickland’s administration hopes to provide $933 million in revenue for the state over two years.

Under proposed rules that will be reviewed Monday by the Ohio Lottery Commission, the state would keep 50 percent of proceeds after payouts. The commission would regulate the slots industry.

Theodore Harvey, 28, a restaurant cook from Cleveland, said 18 was about the right age to gamble, but added that each person handles it differently. “Everybody’s not the same,” said Harvey, who occasionally buys a lottery ticket but doesn’t go to casinos.

Tracks must apply by Sept. 15 and pay $65 million for a license fee, with five $13 million installments over a one-year period. The state hopes to have the slots in operation by May.