ogadmin

07

Dec2012
The Ohio House, by a 63-30 vote, passed House Bill 605, which many believe will put Internet cafes out of business. The bill now goes to the Senate in hopes of a final vote before the legislative session ends later this month. Among the provisions of HB 605: Internet cafes would have ... Read More
December 7, 2012ogadmin

05

Dec2012

Racinos Update

/ Lottery
Dayton Penn National has released its plans for the Hollywood Dayton Raceway to be built on the site of a former Delphi plant. Plans call for a 5/8 mile harness racetrack and a gaming building of up to 150,000 square feet. There will be up to 1,500 VLTs, an entertainment stage ... Read More
December 5, 2012ogadmin

05

Dec2012

Casinos Update

/ Casino
Revenues Revenues at the Cleveland and Toledo casinos continue to decline. For Cleveland, the decline in October was less than in previous months, falling $300,000 to $20.8 million. Since June, the first full month the casino was open, revenues have fallen 20%. For Toledo, the drop was a little steeper, falling ... Read More
December 5, 2012ogadmin

04

Dec2012

Ballot Issues

/ Casino
In last month’s election, the citizens of Green passed a charter amendment banning casino gambling and horse racing in their city. The issue was put on the ballot because of discussion that the Thistledown racino in North Randall was contemplating relocation to Green. Owners of Thistledown opted to stay put ... Read More
December 4, 2012ogadmin

04

Dec2012

Internet Cafes

/ Other Gaming
This continues to be a hot topic around the state. Another bill was introduced in an attempt to ban or regulate sweepstakes cafes. Among the provisions of House Bill 605: Internet-based sweepstakes games would be prohibited, but sweepstakes parlors could still operate, using in-house software; The Ohio Lottery Commission would regulate sweepstakes ... Read More
December 4, 2012ogadmin

13

Sep2012
Penn National Gaming received a license to operate the Columbus Hollywood Casino. The grand opening for the casino has been scheduled for October 8. The casino has planned an invitation-only “soft opening” on October 3. The proceeds from the soft opening will be split between five local charities, including the ... Read More
September 13, 2012ogadmin

12

Sep2012
Rock Ohio Caesars has shown interest in relocating its Thistledown racetrack from North Randall to property owned by the Akron-Canton Airport in Green, Ohio. A deal between Rock Ohio Caesars and the state would allow the track to be relocated within 12 miles of the airport if it chooses. Gaming opponents ... Read More
September 12, 2012ogadmin

12

Sep2012

Taxes

/ Casino, Lottery
The Feds and the casino cities want their cut of your winnings. Columbus became the latest city to impose an income tax on any winnings from games of chance, including church raffles, the Ohio Lottery and other drawings. Even bingo and March Madness winnings are included. The tax is applicable to ... Read More
September 12, 2012ogadmin

12

Sep2012
Scioto Downs saw its revenue increase from $11.1 million to $11.8 million (6.8%) from June to July. In August, revenue again increased to $13.1 million (11%). The spike in August can probably be attributed to the opening of Phase II at Scioto Downs, which saw the addition of 300 VLTs ... Read More
September 12, 2012ogadmin

23

Jul2012

Internet Cafes

/ Lottery
Turns out there are more of these businesses than originally thought. Back in March, the state estimated there were 280 such cafes. Attorney General Mike DeWine recently announced that his office has received affidavits from 772 owners of existing Internet cafes. This probably means there are more sweepstakes terminals operating ... Read More
July 23, 2012ogadmin