by John Pawlak, the U.S. Trotting Association

Columbus, OH — Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, currently seeking reelection and currently trailing Republican John Kasich in the polls, has said he wants the Ohio Lottery to join Ohio’s racetracks in the racino business, but until recently Kasich’s campaign had not commented on the proposal.

Rob Nichols, a spokesman for Kasich, recently told the press, “Like a lot of Ohioans, John has mixed emotions about gambling. He doesn’t really gamble but he’s not opposed to it,” Nichols said.

“He thinks gambling comes with costs to society that must be addressed and minimized, but the revenue can be valuable. Ohio voters have expanded gambling in pieces over time and he thinks we’re at a place now where we need to take a comprehensive look at gambling in Ohio to determine where we go from here.”

The Strickland administration has sought a court’s opinion as to whether the governor can authorize the expansion of the lottery into operating video lottery terminals (VLTs), and the Ohio Lottery Commission is going ahead with hearings into the promulgation of regulations governing VLT operations, but the question and process remain up in the air.