While the casino owners are planning for the future, a much older form of gambling in Ohio may be in trouble. Horse racing, including River Downs and Lebanon Raceway, already faces a grim financial reality. So, what happens when casinos bring new competition?
Local 12 Reporter Jeff Hirsh is back from the track with some answers.
It will take two or three years for Ohio's casinos to be up and running. Meantime, Ohio's horse race industry is just hoping it will be running at all.
"Okay, here we go."
Carmelo Capurro is a River Downs regular.
"I've been coming here quite a bit, almost 40 years now."
If the live season is over, Capurro bets out of town races at the Racebook ... River Downs' betting parlor:
But, will bettors, like Capurro, go to a downtown casino instead of here?
"Probably, in addition, I'd rather bet on the horses."
Still, Ohio racing is in trouble. Governor Ted Strickland's plan for video slot machines at Ohio's seven tracks was blocked by the Ohio Supreme Court who said opponents should have the chance to put the question on the ballot through petition signatures. However, the governor may ask the State Lottery Commission to install the slots ... a possible way around the court:
"It's very important to get something going."
"The folks here at River Downs are not too worried about a casino downtown. There's already one in Lawrenceburg, a few miles away. But they are concerned that the video lottery terminals will never happen."
Which could jeopardize 12-thousand horse track jobs in Ohio ... and more.
John Engelhardt, River Downs Spokesperson: "You just don't go to Wal-Mart and buy a horse, there's the farm, the people who feed it, the employment factor, the impact of racing is huge in the state."
So, the tracks wait ... and hope for a winner. Speaking of odds ... a member of the State Racing Commission has said, without slots, odds are five of Ohio's seven tracks will close in a few years. One argument the race tracks are pushing ... video slots can be installed within several months ... bringing the financially strapped state hundreds of millions of tax dollars ... while casino revenues won't be here for some time.
Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear said last week he wants lawmakers to pass an expanded gambling bill when the winter session begins in January. Leaders in Kentucky's horse racing industry are pushing for a measure to allow video lottery terminals at racetracks.
