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NBC4 is reporting that the proposed Arena District Casino would be branded as a “Hollywood Casino”, similar to its Indiana counterpart. In the article, a representative says that renderings won’t be made available before election day, but states that the casino will be a single-story structure with an attached parking garage, and will include a performance stage and dining options.
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Proposed Casino to be Branded as Hollywood Casino
By: Walker
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Yeah, I was leaning towards ‘no’ and this pretty much seals it. Lame.
@futureman – That does seem like a very high figure. They might be adding in the indirect employment numbers as well. But maybe the other casinos would be more “grand.”
Also, those Issue 3 ads are intentionally misleading. They say that the tax rate on casinos in Ohio will be the fourth highest. It doesn’t say that multiple states charge one of those three higher tax rates. The casinos would be getting a tax bargain in Ohio. If we have to do this, the state should get at least a 50% cut.
Isn’t one of the points being used to make the case for the casino is that other bordering states have a casino and having one here would draw visitors from neighboring states?
With the amount of revenue projected to be generated by this, I would expect a bit more creativity on the part of the architects. Draw from the rich history of the city and surrounding communities as an influence for design. A framed poster of Bogart and Marylin with some faux-crystal chandeliers is cheesy at best.
I haven’t heard that, but I doubt it would be the case. No one from Michigan is going to drive here for that dumpy casino when they have the MGM Grand and Greektown. No one from Pa. is going to come here when they already have dumpy casinos in their back yard. People traveling for the casino are not going to explore outside the casino. They come to gamble, not take in the sights. It would be amazing if the Arena District restaurants saw a 5% increase in sales with a casino present. It’s just not going to happen.
From the anti-issue 3 groups -
What’s Wrong with Issue 3?
ISSUE 3 WAS WRITTEN BY THE CASINOS, FOR THE CASINOS — AND IT SHOWS
* Ohio casinos would pay just 33 % of their gross profit in taxes. In Maryland, Penn National recently agreed to pay 67% in taxes for a racino. The Ohio rate is less than half of this – and would be among the lowest tax rates of all other states with legalized gambling.
* The 33% is a CAP; state legislators could not raise the rate. To raise the rate, voters would have to change the Ohio Constitution once again.
* Cash wagering is not included in the calculation used to determine profits – so if a gambler bets in cash, the casino would pay NO taxes on those bets.
THE PLAN IS FILLED WITH HIDDEN COSTS TO OHIO TAXPAYERS
* New roads, bridges and other infrastructure improvements would be needed, and Issue 3 is silent on who would pay for them. Ohio taxpayers should not have to pay the bills while the casino operators make all the money.
CHURCHES AND FRATERNAL GROUPS COULD NOT OFFER CHARITABLE “CASINO NIGHTS”
* The plan authorizes four casinos and prohibits anyone other than the four casino operators from conducting casino gaming.
* The plan specifically states passage of Issue 3 will not affect bingo or the lottery. Because casino gaming at festivals is authorized under ORC 2915.02(D), and not under the constitutional provisions dealing with lotteries or bingo, casino gaming at festivals is banned by section C(6) of the proposal. There is no exemption in the proposal for casino gaming authorized under ORC 2915.02(D).
* The sour economy is already hurting the ability of Ohio’s churches and other charities to raise money. Issue 3 will make it even harder.
THE PLAN’S ECONOMIC BENEFITS ARE INFLATED AND ILLUSORY
* Supporters say this would create 34,000 jobs. You have to read the fine print to learn that less than half are PERMANENT jobs.
* The study that supports this 34,000-job claim was commissioned and paid for by the Casino developers, so its findings are not to be trusted.
* Many of those permanent jobs would be job TRANSFERS, merely replacing jobs lost by local restaurants, bars and entertainment venues if the casinos open. Clearly, the net job-creation numbers are even smaller.
* Because Issue 3 does not REQUIRE the four casinos to be built, if one or more is not built all of the rosy financial projections would not materialize.
OHIO WORKERS WOULD BE HURT, NOT HELPED, BY THE PLAN
* Ohio labor unions will be left out in the cold if the casinos are ever built. One of the out-of-state gambling companies bankrolling Issue 3, Penn National Gaming, has a record of underpaying its workers and fighting unionization of its gambling establishments in the US and Canada.
* There is no requirement that the contractors employed and workers hired to build and staff the Casinos are from the State of Ohio. While the rules recently enacted by the Lottery Commission for VLTs have clear “Buy Ohio” and “Hire Ohio” provisions, Issue 3 has nothing of the sort.
@Joev – yeah, that’s my thought. Not exactly a draw.
Can’t they just build the Hollywood nursing home in Jeffersonville, next to the outlets? Seems like a much better fit…
Let me go against the grain here, and see if I can make some sense in this forum. First, I think the casino being proposed in Columbus should be more than one story, but to be honest, I just don’t think there is as much support for casinos in Columbus as there is in other areas of Ohio that are already pretty close to casinos already. Cincy has Belterra, Hollywood, and the other one. Toledo has Windsor, MGM and Greektown and Cleveland has Lorain (haha).
Anyway, so the state is broke. We can’t attract businesses because our tax rate is too high. Yes, it’s true the corporate tax rate is better than it has been in the recent past but we still live in Ohio, and the tax rate isn’t that much better.
So the state needs money, and people from Ohio are going to have gambling problems, and are going to gamble regardless of whether we have casinos or not.
So why not support this? Granted, it will be like anything else in Columbus. It will be the hottest thing in town for 2 years, and then people with oxygen tanks will be found drooling over a slot machine on a Wednesday night at 3am shortly thereafter.
People are going to do it anyway – why not let them on Ohio soil? Almost every other state is allowing it, why just shut off an easy revenue valve that is honestly not really going to change anyone’s quality of life?
One story=fail
I was going to vote for it until I heard that. They need to respect the surronding neighborhood if they want to come in.
With a design and name like that, this will never be the hottest thing in town. No chance. They’re going after granny’s pill money from Day One.
Not all economic development is good. This is bad economic development that will take more away from Ohio than it gives back.
I don’t understand why the size of the casino would change peoples mind on voting yes or no. Even though it will be one story I would assume it will have a ceiling height of atleast 20 feet. I don’t think the phrase “Go big or go home” applies to this issue.
First off, I’m unsure of how a casino will have trouble “respecting the neighborhood its in”. It’s going in the back of an industrial, undeveloped, non-residential area. Outside of maybe 200 people at Buggyworks, no one is going to be affected at all.
Please explain how this will “take away from Ohio”.
More than anything I think it’s the fact that it is so bland, unimaginative and completely out of character for what downtown is becoming. It shows no connection to the community it’s planned to be in and I can easily drive out to Indiana and find the exact thing.
@Zooky: This will take away from Ohio because it will only attract people who can’t afford to lose money. When they run out, and either need public assistance or try to cut costs by skimping on their medicine, it’s a big problem. Ohio has a great image now as a family-friendly getaway destination. Tacky casinos damage that image. Under this plan, the casinos get too large a share of the income. A larger share to the state could help offset these social problems with increased funding for programs. At the anticipated tax rate, the additional income will not even fill in the budget hole to keep the state running as is.
I think it’s delusional to believe Ohio is a tourist destination.
Futureman: The “34K jobs” number is misleading.
Check out an NBC 4 fact-checking report here: http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/local_govtpolitics/article/Fact-Checking_the_Issue_3_Casino_TV_Ads_Will_Issue_3_Create_34000_Jobs/23637/
Basically, the report does not make a distinction between full-time or part-time jobs.
But even more misleading:
“The University of Cincinnati report states that only 7,500 permanent jobs directly relate to the casinos. The remainder are indirect jobs from other companies. What does that mean?
If contractors buy building materials from companies in Dayton or Pittsburgh, the report credits the casino with the creation of some of those companies’ jobs. And in the case of contracts with out-of-state companies, the formula still credits the casinos with job creation.”
@Zooky Tourism is Ohio’s third largest industry after agriculture and manufacturing, with $39 billion in economic impact in 2008.
Maybe not the entire State, Zooky, but consider Columbus alone. We have a national recognized Zoo and Science Center; a college football team that brings in 100k + to the stadium, let alone the people tailgating outside of it, every fall; a soccer team that won it’s championship the previous season and is bringing in good crowds; a hockey team finally coming into it’s own; nationally recognized restaurants and neighborhoods and a thriving art scene that is gaining more and more prominence.
If none of that entices someone, you always have Easton; the Hocking Hills just south of Columbus; the Memorial Tournament and other venues.
I think it’s delusional to continue the Ohio/Columbus hate and continue looking at the good with a blind eye.
I was def. ready to vote yes on this based the fact that we might be getting a really nice new building downtown that would increase our skyline and maybe get a new hotel out of it to help out with conventions. One story flat out sucks and has turned my yes vote to a no. That is pathetic and insulting.