Anti-casino campaign launches

FROM: Columbus Dispatch Blog - The Daily Briefing

BY: James Nash

Gambling opponents regrouped this morning to punch holes in a proposal for a casino in southwestern Ohio, less than two years after helping to defeat another gambling measure.

The campaign to defeat a Clinton County casino will look much like the last one: a coalition of religious and political leaders, a shoestring budget and a message that a few entrepreneuers are trying to fleece millions of Ohioans, leaders of the Vote No Casinos campaign said today.

As in 2006, the anti-casino forces say they expect to win.

Rob Walgate, vice president of the Ohio Roundtable, which led opposition to the 2006 measure, was joined by Melanie Elsey, the group’s legislative director; Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks; and the Rev. John Edgar of the United Methodist Church for a news conference announcing the launch of the new campaign.

MyOhioNow.com, a group of investors, is collecting signatures for a November ballot measure that would authorize a single casino resort.

The pro-casino group says it would generate jobs and return millions of dollars to county governments for local needs.

The anti-casino campaign says the promises are illusory and that most of the money would go to Lakes Entertainment Inc., the Minnesota company backing the casino drive. Walgate and Elsey also said the constitutional amendment to authorize MyOhioNow.com’s casino would lead to Indian gambling in Ohio.

“There’s not one dime of guaranteed money in this,” Walgate said.