Wasting no time, Governor Ted Strickland this week appointed Cleveland-based attorney Kathleen Burke as the next director of the Ohio Lottery Commission. Burke, who has been an attorney with Jones Day since 1973, will assume her new role on August 24, replacing Michael Dolan, who resigned the position last week. "Kathy ... Read More

The Ohio Lottery Commission released the proposed rule package for implementation of the video lottery terminals in Ohio's seven race tracks this week. The emergency rules were developed in accordance with the governor's directive, authorizing language from the state budget, current lottery practices and review of other states' practices. Commission ... Read More

Advocacy group Let Ohio Vote’s suit challenging the validity of the executive order to place up to 1,750 video slot machines in each of Ohio’s seven racetracks is still pending before the Ohio Supreme Court. The Ohio Roundtable, another advocacy group supported by various religious organizations, is expected to file ... Read More

The Let Ohio Vote Committee took its first attempts this week to block the use of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at Ohio's seven racetracks by attempting to file a referendum petition with the Ohio Secretary of State's Office and the Ohio Attorney General's Office, both declined to take the documents. ... Read More

After a 10-day standoff, Governor Ted Strickland and legislative leaders reached a compromise on July 10, permitting up to 2,500 video lottery terminals, or VLTs, at each of Ohio's seven horse-racing tracks without a ballot vote. Legislators scrambled to finish the two-year $51 billion deal before the July 14 deadline ... Read More

On June 27, the Ohio Senate rejected Governor Ted Strickland's plan to put video lottery terminals (VLTs) at seven Ohio horse tracks. Strickland's plan would raise an estimated $933 million over the next two years, in an effort to help erase the state's $3.2 billion deficit. Senators who rejected the ... Read More

Faced with a budget deficit amounting to $2.43 billion, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland changed his stance on video slot machines. Until last week, Strickland had adamantly opposed slot machine placement in Ohio businesses. Realizing that a deficit cure comprised solely of budget cuts would force dangerous outcomes, his tone changed ... Read More

Amid the flurry of budget-related activity, proponents and opponents of an expansion of gaming in Ohio had a busy week. To help fill the deepening budget hole, Governor Strickland has proposed an expansion of gaming by allowing the Ohio Lottery Commission to place Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at Ohio's seven ... Read More

The Ohio Racing Commission has been front and center in recent weeks backing measures to allow slot machines in racetracks as an extension of the Ohio Lottery program. The Commission is looking for legislative backing to install up to 2,000 slot machine-like terminals at each of Ohio’s seven racetracks. The ... Read More