Ohio legislature approves VLTs at tracks
June 29, 2011,from the USTA Communications Department
Columbus, OH — Ohio lawmakers have approved Gov. John Kasich’s agreement that will allow video lottery terminals at racetracks and require the developers to pay additional fees to the state.
The Senate voted 27-6 in favor of the legislation, Sub-HB 277, yesterday. Later in the day, the House voted 64-32 on the same measure.
The governor is expected to sign the legislation.
The state tax on the racetrack VLTs would be set at 33.5 percent, the same tax that will be paid by four full-scale casinos authorized in a 2009 constitutional amendment.
As part of the bill, racetracks can ask the Ohio State Racing Commission for approval to relocate. Penn National Gaming Inc., which is building casinos in Columbus and Toledo and owns racetracks in those two cities, has said it wants to move Thoroughbred track Beulah Park from Columbus to Dayton and harness track Raceway Park from Toledo to Youngstown.
- Cleveland/Cincinnati casino, slots at track deal reached (Monday, June 13, 2011)
Ohio Governor John Kasich’s office said it had reached an agreement about casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland with developer Rock Gaming, with approval of video slot machines at Ohio’s racetracks part of the deal.
- More details emerge concerning VLTs at Ohio tracks (Wednesday, June 15, 2011)
The Columbus Dispatch has released more information about the deal reached between Governor John Kasich’s office and the developer for casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland.
- VLTs in Ohio featured on Eye on Harness Racing (Thursday, June 23, 2011)
News regarding the installation of video lottery terminals at Ohio’s commercial racetracks leads this week’s edition of “Eye on Harness Racing,” the U.S. Trotting Association’s weekly video magazine.