The Ohio Lottery Commission faced no opposition last Monday as its members voted unanimously for rules on integrating slot machines at the state's seven horseracing tracks, after Governor Ted Strickland's administration had asked them to digest and approve the rules in less than a week. The meeting was full of lawyers and lobbyists representing gambling interests supportive of the massive lottery expansion, but not a single person opposing the rules, including a controversial provision to allow 18-year-olds to play.

The Commission added a couple of amendments, including one requiring track owners and gaming companies to provide greater detail about their financial interests and business affiliations. The state's Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review will now examine the rules for potential conflicts with state law, while the public will be able to raise additional questions during a public hearing on Sept. 18. The commission is scheduled to vote on the final language for the rules on Sept. 21.

Strickland's administration has urged the commission to move quickly to keep up efforts to get the slot machines spinning by next spring and fill a projected revenue shortfall of US$933 million in the current two-year budget. According to the Administration’s projections, each track will pay a US$100,000 application fee and a US$13 million down payment toward its US$65 million licensing fee on Sept 13. Nearly all the tracks, including Thistledown in North Randall, were represented at last Monday's meeting.

Some of the rules set by the Ohio Lottery Commission for integrating slots at Ohio's seven horse-racing tracks include: Separating the slot machines from the racing wagering areas; allowing tracks to operate slot machines 24 hours a day, seven days a week; requiring all players to be at least 18 years old; requiring each track to spend US$80 million on improvements, including US$20 million during the first year; requiring tracks to provide educational materials on gambling addiction and to offer a program for problem gamblers; and requiring tracks to monitor the slot machines through a closed circuit television system.

Gov. Ted Strickland’s gaming schedule for the State to install Video Lottery Terminals at the state's seven race tracks is set for May next year, starting this August-September when the State should approve rules for integrating the gaming machines at tracks and finalizing contracts with Greek gaming company, Intralot, to run backroom operations or central computer system. Between September and March, Intralot will test and implement the central computer system, and this will be followed by bids for slot machines and request bids for an independent company to test machines, which should finish by April-May 2010, when machines and integrate central computer system would be tested and operative. (S-08.21.09)

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