Columbus Casino Projection Date Backed Up To 2013
Governor John Kasich was unhappy with the deal that voters approved when they voted in favor of adding four new casinos in Ohio. It was the first time ever that Ohio residents had approved casino gambling, after years of turning away various proposals.When Kasich took office earlier this year, one of his first orders of business was to suggest that the developers chosen to operate the casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo, would have to pay a higher tax rate. That led to a battle between the governor and Rock Gaming. Penn National, the other developer with rights to casinos, was also involved.Governor Kasich was seeking a tax on all bets that came in through the casino. It is a structure that Rock Gaming and Penn National found appalling. No other state in the country taxes bets, only winnings. The stalemate led to months of negotiations.Finally, last month, an agreement was reached first with Rock Gaming, and then with Penn National. The deals were similar, and they gave Kasich and the state the right to authorize more slot gambling in Ohio. Although both sides were happy with the outcome, at times the battle became contentious.At one point, Rock Gaming shut down construction of their Cincinnati casino. That shut down, which has since ended, has caused a delay in the projected opening time of the casino. Originally, Rock Gaming had plans of opening the casino by late 2012, but now that date has been pushed back into 2013.The good news for many Ohio residents is that they have gained their construction jobs back. Workers have gone back to the site of the future casino, and have started the process of constructing the facility. A majority of the workers used for the project reside in Ohio.Over a dozen contracts have been awarded already in the hopes of moving the construction process along quickly. Local company’s were the recipients of the majority of the contracts. Over 400 workers are expected to be on the job site at one point or another in 2012, as construction continues. June 29, 2011Posted By Terry GoodwinStaff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.comSubmit News!