Thoughts on Issue 3


I see where Ohioans get to vote on whether or not to permit casino gambling - again. This vote will take place on Tuesday, November 3. It will be the latest in several attempts to place casinos in Ohio by using the ballot. So far, this measure has been defeated each time it has appeared. It seems that proponents are determined to wear the populace down until the measure passes. It takes a lot of money to keep putting this on the ballot – who is providing this financing?

There are good reasons why State Issue 3 should not pass – and this is not being written for political purposes. I write this as a pastor, concerned about public morality, further disintegration of the family, and the destructive, addictive effect of gambling.

Advertisements want people to believe that tens of thousands of jobs will be created. A Hiram College Public Policy Research Group study has decided differently. Money will simply change hands and replace existing jobs. This study goes on to inform us that the objective of casinos is to provide multiple forms of entertainment under one roof. This insures that customers stay in the casino; consequently, established businesses in the vicinity of the proposed casino will lose customers and sales. “It’s really an exchange of money, it’s not economic growth,” said Thomas Pascarella, professor emeritus of economics and management at Hiram College. The Canton Repository reported on September 30 (page A-12) that Professor Pascarella said that “Ohio’s casinos will largely attract local visitors and won’t bring in a large amount of money that wouldn’t normally be spent in the community.”

Now to answer the question, “who is providing this financing?” This expensive issue is on the Ohio ballot again thanks to gambling interests, including an organization called Penn National Gaming. This company would gain a casino monopoly in central Ohio. To curry favor with business leaders in Columbus, Penn National Gaming has promised to make annual financial contributions to an agency called Experience Columbus. This agency exists to boost the prosperity of Columbus by marketing it as an appealing, exciting place to visit and do business. The Columbus Dispatch wrote in its September 27 paper, “Most of the business and civic leaders Experience Columbus represents oppose Issue 3 for good reason: The temporary construction jobs and low-wage service positions it would bring aren’t worth the increased crime, gambling addiction and corruption that typically accompany big-time casinos.”

Casinos do not stimulate economic development. They depress it. “The House” rarely loses – it can not afford to lose. “The House” loses just infrequently enough to keep people coming. The unspoken slogan of the casino is, “A sucker is born every minute.” The individuals “gaming” in the casino are the losers. The money they lose could have been spent on authentic economic development, by patronizing establishments that enhance a community – restaurants, concerts, theaters, automobile dealerships, appliance stores and home remodeling firms. Some might take the money that they would otherwise lose to “The House” and build a roomier house for the family, thus adding to the value of the community. Further donations could be made to churches and synagogues or other charities that assist people.

Rest assured – and do not allow media advertisements to confuse you - if Issue 3 passes, there will be more poverty, homelessness, hunger and addictions as a result. The United States International Gambling Report Series is a 3,000 page compilation of decades of research on gambling. It concludes that casinos cost communities $3 in lost economic development, increased crime and social problems for every $1 they generate in benefits. Is this what you want for Ohio?

Make sure you are registered to vote in November. Vote for the public good by voting “no” on Issue 3, casinos in Ohio.