The interests who gave themselves a monopoly on casino gambling in Ohio by pushing a constitutional amendment in 2009 are poised to saturate Northeast Ohio with the games of chance they control. As reported last week by The Akron Beacon Journal, part of the picture involves a deal John Kasich is considering that would allow the Thistledown horse-racing track to move from North Randall to the Akron-Canton area, most likely to land owned by the Akron-Canton Airport.Rock Ohio Caesars, the Dan Gilbert partnership that will soon open casinos in downtown Cleveland and Cincinnati, holds an option on the Thistledown track. Meanwhile, under a separate agreement reached with the governor, Penn National Gaming would be permitted to move its Beulah Park racetrack in suburban Columbus to Austintown, near Youngstown.Penn National Gaming has plans for casinos in Toledo and Columbus and wants to deploy its operations to maximize returns, the governor having already agreed to allow horse tracks across the state to operate thousands of electronic slot machines as an extension of the Ohio Lottery.More, Northfield Park, which straddles the Summit-Cuyahoga County line, also will get electronic slots, and Youngstown-area interests are weighing a constitutional amendment that would add a second casino in Northeast Ohio.The governor promised a comprehensive approach to expanded gambling in the state, one that would maximize the benefits for all Ohioans. Yet once again, mirroring the deal on electronic slots at horse tracks, those who are poised to get the biggest piece of the action are consultants, casino operators and horse track owners.Everybody wants in. During a legislative hearing last week, charitable gaming interests pressed to allow pull-tab games in bars. Veterans asked for instant bingo terminals at their clubs.None of it, studies show, will make a significant impact on economic development in the long run as consumer spending merely shifts from existing restaurants and entertainment venues, and gambling addiction rises, increasing the strain on social service agencies. Yet the state plays along, content to reap its modest share of the profits.
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