Group pitches Issue 6 for casino

LIMA - Casino gambling in Ohio will add more than 6,000 good-paying jobs and raise an estimated $340 million for the state, including $2 million for Allen County, a group that supports Issue 6 said Monday.

Representatives of MyOhioNow.com, which supports bringing a casino to southwestern Ohio in Clinton County, touted Issue 6 as a "win-win" for Ohio, which has been devastated by companies leaving the state or closing, said Dr. Bradford Pressman, a spokesman for MyOhioNow.com, who also would be a co-owner of the casino.

"Job loss in the state of Ohio is like Ohio's [Hurricane] Katrina," Pressman said.

If voters approve Issue 6 on Nov. 4, it would allow for the construction of a casino resort on 95 acres in Clinton County near Wilmington between Columbus and Cincinnati. It would include a 1,500-room hotel, retail operations, golf courses and restaurant.

Pressman said the major challenge against Issue 6 is coming from the Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg, Ind., not far from Cincinnati. That group stands to lose millions in revenue from Ohioans crossing the river if voters approve the casino, he said.

Historically, gambling issues have not done well at the polls. Voters have rejected issues three times, most recently in 2006. Those opposed say it would invite crime and harm poor people who struggle to pay basic living expenses and who can least afford gambling away their earnings.

Some opponents of the issue say there are loopholes in Issue 6 that could lead to the casino paying no taxes.

Building the casino will bring 2,600 construction jobs to the state and create more than 6,000 permanent jobs paying an average of $34,000 a year and include full benefits. Additionally, the casino will raise $240 million in estimated tax revenue from gaming and another $100 million from taxes on the hotel, golf course, restaurant and retail, said Rick Lertzman, of MyOhioNow.com.

Issue 6 also contains a "share the wealth" provision that gives each county, based on size, a cut of tax dollars, Pressman said.

"It keeps Ohio tax dollars in Ohio," Pressman said.

For those who love to gamble, they will be able to stay in Ohio. For those who do not, they still will see the benefits of the tax dollars working to improve the state, he said.

Although casinos are sometimes criticized for attracting crime, Pressman said that is not the case with a resort-like casino that will be in a rural setting and have a strong security force.

Issue 6 is for only the one casino but could open the door for additional casinos across the state, Pressman said.

The $600 million project is funded through private groups, not taxpayers. Lake Entertainment of Minneapolis is one of the principal owners as is Blue Water Joint Ventures of Ohio and MyOhioNow.com, which is owned by Lertzman and Pressman, Lertzman said.