Kasich wants consultant to look at Ohio Lottery

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Gov. John Kasich wants to hire a consultant to determine whether the state should let a private company run the day-to-day operations of the Ohio Lottery.

The administration wants to find out the full value of the lottery and how to maximize it, said Rob Nichols, a spokesman for Kasich.

The governor, who already is privatizing Ohio’s job-creation operation and some state prisons and also wants to explore leasing the Ohio Turnpike, hasn’t yet made a final decision on putting the Ohio Lottery in private hands, reported The Plain Dealer.

A pair of conservative groups in June predicted there would be many lawsuits if the state moves forward with privatizing lottery operations and adding slotslike video-lottery terminals at horse tracks.

The opponents argue that state law says the lottery must be run by a state agency.