Are tables next for Ohio's gaming venues?

AUSTINTOWN

Now that all 11 gaming facilities are open in the Buckeye State, what’s next for Ohio gaming?

The main question for patrons of the state’s seven racinos is when will table games come to those facilities. In fact, Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, in the Cleveland suburb of Northfield, is making plans for a hotel on site and has two sets of plans.

“We’ve talked extensively about a hotel and will begin the planning of a hotel in 2015,” said Jon Lucas, president of Rocksino. “We had a small version, which would be without table games, and a larger version with table games, and that would obviously create additional jobs and tax dollars.”

Lucas further talked about table games during a phone interview recently after Hard Rock Rocksino celebrated being open for a full year. .

“I hope that the next step is that racinos get table games... .The single biggest comment we get from our guests is why don’t we have table games, and obviously that’s because of legislation,” Lucas said. “It seems like the demand is there for that and would make a more level playing field. ... I also think it would continue to grow the market because it would do the same as VLTs [video lottery terminals] in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in bringing business back [to Ohio].”

Read more in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.