Casino closer to state vote

FROM: Cincinnati Enquirer

BY: Jon Craig

COLUMBUS - Developers of a proposed $600 million casino-resort in Clinton County are expected to file nearly double the 402,225 voters’ signatures needed today to place a statewide ballot initiative before Ohio voters on Nov. 4. They want to build the state’s first casino in near Wilmington, off Interstate 71 just beyond the Warren County line.
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The “My Ohio Now” pro-casino campaign is entirely paid for by a Minnesota company, according to finance reports filed with the Secretary of State’s Office last week. My Ohio Now listed contributions of $2.66 million, and about the same level of expenses, on its latest campaign finance report.

Bradford A. Pressman and Rick Lertzman, co-founders of My Ohio Now, propose a 1,500-room hotel, restaurants, bars, retail stores and casino with 5,000 slot machines. Lertzman said he’s comfortable that there are enough extra signatures in case invalid signatures are rejected by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner or various county boards of elections. Signatures are needed from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. My Ohio Now collected signatures in 80 counties, Lertzman said.

My Ohio Now plans a news conference in Columbus today.

If approved by a majority of voters Nov. 4, the casino could open about 18 months later, Lertzman said. Ohio voters have rejected casinos three times since 1990.

All the proceeds for the pro-casino campaign came from Lakes Entertainment INCC of Minnetonka, Minn., which operates Indian-owned casinos.

Lyle Berman is chief executive officer of Lakes Entertainment, and invented the televised World Poker Tour. Berman has called it a great project, and his company would operate the new Ohio casino, according to Lertzman.

Most of My Ohio Now’s expenses have been for signature-gathering on petitions to put the issue on the fall ballot, according to the latest campaign finance report. About $611,000 went to Arno Political Consulting based in Rancho Cordova, Calif., to gather signatures. Another $272,000 went to National Petition Management in Brighton, Minn., also for signature-gathering.

Vote No Casinos, the group opposed to gambling, filed a campaign finance report with a balance of $3,046. There was no new fundraising total reported since the last filing period, according to the latest report.

“This has been an exciting opportunity to reach out to Ohio voters in all 88 counties,” Lertzman said. “The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. … The prospect of up to 5,000 new jobs is a bright spot in a year in which we have faced so much financial adversity and challenges.” DHL recently announced it was closing its Wilmington-area operation, laying off perhaps as many as 10,000 workers.

Pressman pointed out that there are 38 states with some form of casino gambling.

“It’s time to keep those dollars within our state borders and attract tourism dollars back to Ohio,” Pressman said.

The full text of the ballot initiative can be found at www.MyOhioNow.com.