Struggling Ohio opens doors to casinos

Penn National plans on building the casino on Miami St. right next to I-75.

One of the major issues, bringing gambling to Ohio, was approved by voters 53 percent to 47 percent. And while majority rules, not everyone is supporting the idea.

Penn National plans on building on Miami Street right next to I-75. The future home of the casino is across the street from a small neighborhood. Most residents we spoke with don't have a problem with gambling in their backyard. Marve Sondergeld says, "I think the city of Toledo needs anything we can get in the city of Toledo to help us out."

For those who voted yes and live nearby, the big change will be traffic. "It's going to be just like living down the street from a Meijer or Kroger store. There will be more traffic, more people turning around in your driveway," says Matt Sondergeld.

Kelley Spohn sees both sides, but she wants to know what a casino really means for her family. She says, "I have a five-year-old, so it's kind of scary for me to think about, ya know, what could honestly go on over there."

The issue has support of city leaders in both Toledo and Rossford, but the Rossford school board is concerned. They want to hear more about Penn National's plans. Jackie Brown says, "None of the other schools districts that are getting the casinos have children who are within walking distance of their school systems and that's something we would like to sit down with you and discuss."

Things are just getting started. Penn National has a rough timeline set. They hope to open in Toledo sometime in 2012. The company plans to hold community forums.

Penn National's Tim Wilmott says, "It's going to take some time for the state to establish a regulatory body and license the operators and set up the rules and regulations so they can effectively regulate casinos here in the state. And that typically takes 6-10 months"

Statewide, here's how things panned out in terms of the casino issue vote: of Ohio's 88 counties, 57 actually said no to Issue 3. And 31 said yes. But, those yes counties were some of the state's most populous including Cuyahoga, Hamilton and Lucas counties. All are set for casinos. A casino is also planned for Columbus's Franklin County, but voters shot down the issue there.

Penn National Gaming is looking to build casinos in Toledo and Columbus. Then there's Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert who's looking to construct casinos in Cleveland and Cincinnati. Gilbert is calling Issue 3 a significant victory and now says, "Let's start lighting it up like Las Vegas." Gilbert and Penn National spent nearly $35-million on advertising to persuade Ohioans to change their minds about casino gambling.

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