by: Gene Koprowski.
State and local governments in Ohio may receive $650
million a year from taxes from the four new casinos proposed in a Nov.
3 ballot measure, a state analysis released this week indicates.
The 33 percent tax on casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Toledo may generate $643.4 million in annual revenue, the Ohio Department of Taxation and Office of Budget and Management forecasts.
That figure is close to what advocates have been claiming. Another estimate forecasts that $651 million in tax revenue will come from the new gambling sources.
Gov. Ted Strickland is also moving forward with a plan for video slot machines at racetracks, but the Ohio Supreme Court held that a referendum must be held first before that can happen.
The majority of tax revenue will go to counties, cities of 80,000 people or more, and school districts, according to experts.
The $50 million-per-casino license fee will be set aside for regional job-training programs.
According to the report, the state may have to spend $5 million to set up a casino control commission to regulate gambling.
"This report from the state of Ohio affirms the facts and information our campaign has been communicating to the citizens of Ohio," Charlie Luken, chairman of the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, said.
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