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Casino board has first meeting
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The new state board that will license and regulate voter-approved casinos had its inaugural meeting Monday.
The seven members of the Ohio Casino Control Commission took their oaths of office and heard presentations on ethics laws and their governance duties as part of their first public meeting.
“Today we begin the difficult process of formalizing the governance, regulation and management of casino gambling by the state of Ohio,” said Charles “Rocky” Saxbe, a Columbus attorney serving as the commission’s chairman.
“While many of our citizens question and oppose the expansion of gaming in our state and can point to real moral, ethical and legal issues that have and will surround the business, this commission is charged with the responsibility of carrying out the mandate of the electorate and the directives of the General Assembly.”
The commission was created as part of the ballot issue approved by voters last year that paved the way for casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.
The panel’s members are all appointed by the governor but require the consent of the Ohio Senate. Gov. Ted Strickland named his choices (four Democrats and three Republicans) to the commission earlier this month.
They include Saxbe; Ohio AFL-CIO President Joe Rugola; Cleveland Heights attorney Vanessa Whiting; Jerry Chabler, a member of the board of the Toledo- Lucas County Port Authority who has served on the state racing and lottery commissions; Cincinnati attorney William Kirkham; Ohio State University Controller Greta Russell; and John Wainscott, a retired Cincinnati police officer.
Though members began their work Monday, the Senate has until the end of the session to sign-off or reject the appointments; if senators don’t act, the selections are considered approved.
Members will be paid about $60,000 per year for their work. They are required to have one meeting per month.
The commission is responsible for licensing and regulating casinos, including investigating and penalizing operators who break the law. One of the group’s first orders of business will be recruiting staff.