Vegas stands pat at 21, but Ohio pushes for 18

Vegas stands pat at 21, but Ohio pushes for 18

Ohio voters have been, at best, ambivalent about legalized gambling in the state.

They have consistently rejected casino gambling when presented with various constitutional amendments at the polls. Granted, there were a variety of reasons why the proposals were rejected, and so no one vote — or any combination of those votes — could be interpreted as a clear indication that a majority of Ohio voters are opposed to legalized gambling per se.

But those votes ought to tell Ohio politicians to tread carefully in the pursuit of gambling schemes designed to fill the open spots in the state’s budget.

We reluctantly accepted as necessary Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposal for nearly 20,000 slot machines at the state’s seven horse racing tracks. The budget, which was balanced only because of the anticipated revenue from those machines, was approved by Ohio’s Republican Senate and Democratic House,

The governor’s appointment of Kathleen Burke as the Ohio Lottery Commission executive director was an encouraging move. She has been a corporate litigator and partner in one of the state’s most prominent law firms, Jones Day in Cleveland, and had distinguished herself as the first woman president of the Ohio State Bar Association.

Unfortunately, it appears that before she even takes the reins at the lottery commission, decisions will have been made that will propel the operation of Ohio’s “racinos” beyond what should be expected in a state that has been reluctant to endorse the expansion of legalized gambling.

Full speed ahead

The Lottery Commission will meet today to adopt proposed racino rules, subject to Strickland’s approval. And while we recognize the need for the state to move swiftly to maximize the potential for realizing the amount of income needed to balance the budget, we wonder if at least some issues should receive more time and more public attention.

Under the proposals, the racinos would operate 24-seven, 365 days a year, which might be the best way to operate slot machine emporiums, but certainly isn’t a conservative approach.

More troubling is the age of Ohio’s new gamblers, which will start at 18. That means Ohio will join only three other states — New York, Oklahoma and Rhode Island — with the lowest minimum age for gamblers. Clearly being among the small minority of states that allows gambling at the age of 18 isn’t consistent with a history of conservative votes by Ohio residents regarding legalized gambling.

If the legal age for gambling in Las Vegas is 21, then 21 should be good enough for Ohio as it eases — supposedly — into expanding gambling opportunities for Ohioans and the state’s neighbors.

The commission should take a second look at the age issue, and Burke, when she officially takes charge next week should take a close look at whether the lottery commission is pursuing it’s latest gambling enterprise in a manner consistent with the wishes and best interests of a majority of Ohioans.