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Ohio lawmakers came together to reach a compromise on the casino bill that will regulate and legalize gambling activities in the state under the constitutional amendment entered into last fall when voters approved to expand gaming operations.
Although legislature missed the midnight deadline on Thursday night, by Friday morning the bill had passed the House with an 86-12 vote and the Senate with a 20-12 vote, moving the bill to the Governor.
While the bill did not include language that would require the casino operators to hire and contract minority workers, as promised, the bill does create a new state commission to license and regulate the four casinos in Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. The commission members will be appointed by the governor with the Senate’s consent and will also be responsible for writing more specific rules that coincide with those outlined in the bill.
Those rules include liquor fees to be paid by the casinos and bars that will operate within them as well as a $1.5 million application fee per casino for consideration for licensing.
Last fall voters approved a $50 million upfront license fee, the higher fee will be split, with half appropriated in a separate bill that will divide the money into local programs approved by voters.
What the bill did not include was the states’ racetracks, bars and restaurants who have been lobbying for slot machines. An earlier court decision puts that question on November’s ballot.
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