The current recession in the the United States has had an adverse impact on the state of Ohios economy, which has in turn led to a discussion on the building of Ohio casinos to pump up revenues. Casinos in states surrounding Ohio including Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Indiana all are patronized by Ohio residents, as gambling is legal in all of these locations. This further establishes a financial motivation to build casinos in Ohio.

The issue of building casinos in Ohio has been a bitter struggle in the state for decades. Voters have repeatedly rejected the measure over the years, though they just narrowly voted in favor of it in the November 2009 elections. 53% of Ohio residents but only 29 out of 88 counties in the state voted to build casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. This leads to the reasons commonly given for and against the construction of casinos in Ohio.

A top reason given by proponents of building casinos in Ohio is that a gambling venue presence will lead to the creation of more jobs in the state. In early 2009, a study conducted by the Ohio Job and Growth Committee in fact indicated that building casinos in Ohio would lead to the adding of about twenty thousand jobs, $600 billion in revenues added by taxes that could plug holes in the states budget, and private investment totaling $1 billion. This does offer a strong financially-based argument in favor of establishing a casino industry in Ohio, a state with high unemployment figures and above average levels of foreclosures.

Where financial growth is concerned, the proponents of building casinos in Ohio see the gambling venues as also supporting the businesses surrounding them. For instance, restaurants located right outside of the casinos may see a positive impact on their bottom lines as casino patrons look to enjoy meals in between gambling and enjoying casino shows. Surrounding theaters, sporting arenas, and other entertainment venues can also see more profits as casino customers look for additional things to do in between visits, with some of them even making a mini vacation out of their casino trip. The casinos may also inspire the growth of new businesses in the area, such as the souvenir shops which are common in gambling meccas like that of Atlantic City, NJ.

While building casinos in Ohio does have its group of supporters, those against casino construction in the state also is a sizable group of Ohio residents. These individuals are cynical about claims that casinos will positively impact Ohio's bottom line and add thousands of jobs to the state. They point to areas such as Detroit, Michigan, where gambling is legal.

Detroit is a city plagued by high crime, many foreclosures, and double digit unemployment levels, and not much has changed after gambling was legalized in Michigan. While the casinos have added tax revenues to Detroit's bottom line and created a couple of thousand of jobs, the city overall is in essentially the same state it was before the gambling venues made their presence. Most of the gamblers patronizing the casinos are local residents as opposed to tourists spending their money in the state, and some local businesses have expressed concerns that the casinos are detracting business from them. Such businesses include restaurants.

Those not in favor of the casinos also point to their concerns with the potential for gambling addiction among low- income people. There has been discussion centering around this aspect in some venues where gambling has been legal for years. Many cases of poor people who gamble away the little funds they have in the hope of making a big win have been reported. This can adversely impact a location that is already in a distressed state, which is not how legislators would want to proceed.

Voters paved the way to build casinos in Ohio in November 2009 after years of voting the measure down. People who are for and against building the Ohio casinos are both vocal in the state. Proponents feel that the casinos will positively impact job growth and the bottom line of Ohio. Critics point to examples of cities where gambling is legal and where the overall economic and social states of the areas did not change much due to the presence of casino industries in them. Time will tell how the building of casinos in Ohio progresses.

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