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Ohio lawmakers are preparing to ask voters this fall if they are ready to take a gamble on gambling in the state.
Proponents on both sides of the issue spoke at the Clermont Chamber of Commerce Legislative Lunch June 30.
"You can leave this parking lot today, drive 35 minutes and gamble," said Michael Hopcraft, assistant communications director for the Ohio Learn and Earn campaign. "We believe that gambling is already here. The question is, should we benefit from it?"
Hopcraft presented legislation that has been proposed, but not yet approved, that would place an issue on the November ballot asking Ohio voters their opinion on the placement of slot machines at the state's seven existing race tracks in addition to two casinos in the Cleveland area.
For Hopcraft, it's not all just fun and games. As part of the legislation, 30 percent of the revenue from the state's new industry would go directly to personal scholarship funds for every student in Ohio.
The scholarships would be provided to the top five percent of each high school class for the next 13 years while the fund grows.
By 2020, the scholarships will be available for all students and provide the average college tuition in the state -- $8,000 this year -- to be used at any Ohio public or private college for four years.
Others aren't as impressed by Hopcraft's proposal.
"Giving these high school kids scholarships doesn't mean the jobs will be here waiting for them," said Rob Walgate, director of outreach for the Ohio Roundtable.
Walgate is leading the fight against expanded gambling in Ohio.
"The gambling industry is a predatory industry," he said. "The gambling dollar eats the other dollar. It's not the save all, end all it's made out to be."
Beyond his skepticism that the money would be there for the proposed college scholarships, Walgate insists that the money isn't necessarily allocated towards what will be needed if gambling comes to the state.
The Greater Cleveland Partnership produced a number of 109,000 new compulsive gamblers that would be created for the introduction of gambling in Ohio. With $20 million proposed to go toward education and treatment of gambling addictions, that is roughly $211 per person, not to mention the compulsive gamblers who already are in the state of Ohio, Walgate said.
Not adequately caring for the potential issues the gaming industry could create, led into a point made by Archie Wilson, Batavia Township trustee, who commented from the audience.
"This is a quality of life issue for me," he said. "I remember Newport. It took 50 years after gambling for a man to be able to take his family to Newport."
Wilson spoke to issues Newport faced with prostitution and drugs that he believes to be a product of gambling.
"That's my biggest concern," he said. "It breeds other things."
Beyond any fundamental or moral concerns with the matter of gambling in the state, Walgate believes this specific issue carries a underlying issue.
This legislation, if on the ballot, would allow for gambling only in the state's seven existing race tracks and the two new proposed casinos.
"This creates a monopoly for the gaming industry," he said. "Even if someone is for gambling, they can be against this proposal. This is not about education. We are talking about using our kids to make a few businessmen very rich."
For Hopcraft, the message is much more simple and much less ominous.
"People are going to Detroit today," he said. "People are going to Lawrenceburg today, going to Windsor today. We are just trying to recapture those dollars and keep them in the state."
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