OH Lottery Preparing for Racetrack VLTs
BloodHorse
Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 10:19 AM
By John Kady
The Ohio Lottery Commission said Sept. 26 it plans to have video lottery terminals installed at some of the state’s racetracks perhaps by January 2012.
Racetrack VLTs were legalized earlier this year in Ohio. Roughly 14,000 of the devices in total are planned for seven racetracks, though installation will vary depending on construction schedules and whether racetracks apply to relocate.
A spokesperson for the lottery commission said plans are being formulated to install the VLTs, which the commission will have the authority to do after Oct. 17, when the legislation passed earlier this year takes effect.
The office of Republican Gov. John Kasich said Sept. 26 if the licenses for Beulah Park near Columbus and Raceway Park in Toledo—both are owned by Penn National Gaming Inc.—are transferred to other locations under approval by the Ohio State Racing Commission, other racing interests could take over Beulah Park and Raceway Park for racing purposes but would not be allowed to install VLTs for 10 years.
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And many media outlets and politicians here have the audacity to ask what happened to Pinnacle Race Course promised Jobs?
Well during the construction Banks and Wall Street crashed. Our stupid Governor Miss Dumbbell Granholm dissolved our Office of Racing Commissioner then took us from AG where we had been since 1933 and placed us under the MGCB, they in turn allotted us 84 race dates in 2009 & 2010 only to then take them all back but 3. Legislators disregarded not one but two reports on the dismantling and cannibalism of the Horse Racing Industry and what could help us.
Our new Governor Mr. Snyder who is off in China at present attempting to convince the Chinese to bring jobs to Michigan yet he refuses to help keep the 12,000+ jobs that are already here connected to Horse Racing and Agriculture but are in dire jeopardy if no one in this state steps up to the 21st century like the states that surround us as in ASAP.
NEED I GO ON?
To the OHIO HBPA – Congratulations. With all sincerity the best to all of you. Your State Finally Woke Up. Pray for the MIHBPA that ours will too before they pronounce us dead once and for all.
So much for Reinvention.
Longshot's Blog 
I used to race at the old DRC race course. I am an Ohio resident.
We used to race some of our horses there, I really enjoyed the trips up to
the old track. However it may be too late for the vlt’s to help us in Ohio as most of the breeding farms are now nice homes. Good luck to Michigan
I hope that you someday get the vlt’s. We should of had them years ago
in Ohio. Like I said, it may be too late to save the industry here in Ohio.
There are still many farms here but our problem is many of our older horsemen have died. Farid Sefa, Bob Miller, Ed Tripp, James and Marcia Arnold and others.
Sefa, Miller & Tripp had muscle in which to do things. Our biggest problem is the horsemen have never stuck together here, ever. And for that reason alone they are their own worst enemies.
They refuse to band together for anything good. They’d rather go in a 100 different directions than to just stand still, take a stand and fight. And I’ll tell you I can write blog after blog until I’m blue in the face but there are some on the HBPA board who will fight to their deaths to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.
It’s down right infuriating.
It’s not about any individual proving to everybody else they are the right ones, when every single decision has proven the complete opposite. It’s what is good for the entire group if they would just stand still for one second and give serious thought to what they are doing.
So many have died since DRC it is beyond heart wrenching. It’s like we died along with that track.
Well we can never get DRC back but we can go forward if this stinking States would help the very Industry that helped them for so long, before Lottery or Casinos instead of them doing everything they can to kill us off.
As far as I’m concerned when the Casinos moved in it should of been automatic that the Race Tracks could gain slots.
I’d love to be able to walk into MGM, Greek Town or Motor City and be able to bet on Horse Racing. And in the same respect the Tracks should have the same advantages. Bet both the Horses and pull slots.
Can’t these States understand this is a Win-Win situation for both them and us?
More revenue for the States and Saving an Industry of sun up to sun down hard workers who have been here for years and years prior to other forms of gambling.
It’s just not fair what they’ve done to us.
That was one of the most frustrating things about horse racing. The horsemen never stuck together on anything. Everyone had their own
agenda. Actually the Ohio HPBA was weak and never did have power
to do much good.They had no bargaing chips. I am sure that it was the
same way Michigan. Lets face the facts Longshot. Casino gambling
has done horse racing in, in the smaller states. Racing will only survive
on the major circuits. One reason is that the cost have risen so much
and the purses have not increased enough to even try to stay in this
game. You are also correct in the fact that the idiot politicains did little
to try to save a whole industry of hard working people. I don’t really
think that they ever had a clue on how many jobs the racing industry
had. From track workers to farm workers.And everyone in between.
You are also correct in saying that a lot of the older folks involed in
racing are gone. And there is no one around to take over.
It really is an damn shame to watch this industry decline. But really
who is to blame? A lot of it has to go to the horsemen who
sat back and watched it happen. The industry will never be the same
again. At least not in our states. Those days are gone for good. Too bad!