Parties Ask for Extension in Land Claim Suit
December 4, 2006

The parties to the Eastern Shawnee land claim suit have asked the Federal District Court for more time in which to discuss a possible settlement, according to the Lima News. The extension asks for the Court's permission to extend a deadline by which the litigants were to provide a preliminary report on the progress of the case. If the extension is granted, the parties will have until January 31st to submit the report.

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Gaming Interests Undeterred
December 4, 2006

Despite crushing defeat at the polls earlier this month, gaming proponents are refusing to give up on their push to bring legalized casinos to Ohio. An article in the Columbus Dispatch indicates that supporters spent over $20 million on the campaign. Columbus-based Beulah Park owner Charles Ruma stated: "I think we'll be back with an effort; I don't know what it will look like but it will be much different."

The article indicates that Ohioans can expect a re-tooled gaming proposal that would focus on Ohio's major metropolitan areas. Issue 3 would have allowed full-scale casino gaming in Cleveland, but excluded all of Ohio's other cities. Consequently, Issue 3 was a clear winner in Cuyahoga County, but didn't fare well in other urban counties. A new proposal would likely have an option to allow casino gaming in Ohio's other population centers.

Native American Gaming is still "chugging ahead," according to Terry Casey, a lobbyist for the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. The Eastern Shawnee Tribe is one of two Native American groups seeking land rights in Ohio - a precursor to introduction of legal gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulator Act. The Ottawa are also seeking land on North Bass Island in Lake Erie. Though the Ottawa claim that they want to open a fishery on their land, the article suggests that they may be motivated to introduce gaming, as well.

Finally, Ohioans may see an expansion of games offered by the Ohio Lottery. In interviews with the Dispatch, State Representative Bill Seitz suggested that the Lottery may be able to expand into poker tournaments and even full-scale casino gaming.

As gaming supporters gear up for their next effort, opponents are positioning themselves to thwart any new effort to introduce gaming in Ohio. David Zanotti of the Vote No Casinos Committee stated that he is filing papers to keep his committee operating indefinitely, and the committee will have $100,000 on hand to counter any casino initiative.

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Company Charged for Illegal Imports of Gaming Devices
December 4, 2006

Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro recently filed suit against a Wisconsin company, F.A.C.E. Trading, Inc., for allegedly selling pull-tab bingo tickets in Ohio without a license, and selling pull-tab bingo tickets to Ohio businesses and charities without licenses to operate the games. Petro asserted that the "ad-tabs," pull-tab bingo cards with advertisements printed on one side, constituted gambling devices under Ohio law. The suit seeks to enjoin the company from importing additional cards into the state, and to recover proceeds from previous sales of the tickets in Ohio. Any monetary recovery would be disbursed to Ohio charities, according to the article.

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Without Slots, Racetracks May Merge
December 4, 2006

An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer recently reported that the failure of Ohio's Issue 3 may affect merger plans of Ohio racetracks. Without slots to keep them afloat, Northfield Park and Thistledown are currently in merger negotiations, though Brock Milstein, Chairman of Northfield Park, notes that the discussions are informal.

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"Skill" Game Importation Prohibited
December 4, 2006

A Franklin County judge issued an injunction prohibiting Ohio Skill Games from importing any addition "tic-tac-fruit" machines into the state. An article in the Dayton Daily News suggests that the injunction will likely remain in place until the resolution of a lawsuit involving the state and several businesses that had previously installed the machines. A recent opinion by Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro indicates that the games are actually prohibited under Ohio law as gambling devices. Ohio Skill games disagrees, and is currently fighting to have the machines declared legal. The court also issued an order that prohibits the Ohio Department of Public Safety, which encompasses the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, from confiscating any additional machines until the lawsuit is decided.

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Internet Gambling Case Settled
December 4, 2006

Federal prosecutors reached a settlement with U.K. gambling site BetOnSports, PLC. The settlement requires BetOnSports to refrain from accepting wagers placed from the United States. The United States Attorney would not comment on the settlement, as criminal charges filed against CEO David Carruthers and other BetOnSports agents and employees remain unaffected by the agreement.

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