Editorial: Casino issue a sucker's bet in Ohio

Tuesday, October 21, 2008  

"An official state analysis shows that the Clinton County casino initiative -- Issue 6 on the ballot -- could in fact free the casino from a promised casino tax. That undercuts a key promise: "free" money for Ohio's 88 counties -- perhaps $22 million a year for Cuyahoga.

For the Wilmington casino's promoters (the Beachwood-based group My Ohio Now, partnered with Lakes Entertainment Inc., a Minnesota company that manages Indian casinos), Issue 6's selling point is a statewide per-capita split of a 30 percent tax on gross casino receipts.

But Issue 6 includes an out: If another Ohio casino ever opens, the Wilmington casino's 30 percent tax drops to the lesser of 25 percent or the newer casino's rate. That could be a problem for Ohioans if an Indian casino ever opens in the state, because Indian casinos aren't taxed at all."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Casino issue's unknowns make it a sucker's bet (The Cleveland Plain Dealer 10/21)