Tuesday, May 22, 2012
COLUMBUS (AP) — A group of state lawmakers is slated to discuss and possibly vote today on a compromise to a wide-ranging bill that sorts out regulations for casinos, racetrack slots and other forms of gambling in Ohio.
Republican State Rep. Lou Blessing of Cincinnati had told a negotiating committee last week that more time was needed to iron out differences between House and Senate versions of the bill.
The two chambers differed on how to distribute casino taxes and taxes paid on money wagered at horse tracks. They also diverged over whether to legalize games of chance at festivals and how to pay for a study on gambling addiction.
Ohio voters in 2009 approved casinos in Cleveland, Toledo, Cincinnati and Columbus. The state’s first casino opened last week in Cleveland. The Toledo casino opens May 29.