Ohio: Ya Think?

.

Facing "Issue 3" in Ohio --

.
“I think with this happening it might draw some more people down there. And then it obviously would negatively affect us in overall sales throughout the year,“ said Joe Sauvie, general manager of Ted’s Montana Grill.

Sauvie’s restaurant sits less than a half-mile away from the proposed casino site on Nationwide Boulevard. He says the casino would promote its own retail and restaurants, keeping customers inside, instead of exploring the Arena District, and he is worried the casino could discount food prices by making up for it with gambling profits.

“If people are going to go over there and go gamble and know they’re going to get comped food or comped drinks, then that might hurt us I believe,“ Sauvie said.

Bob Tennenbaum, spokesperson for the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, clearly hasn't done his homework or read about the experiences of other small businesses around the country.

...Astleford [CEO and President of Experience Columbus, the tourism and marketing office promoting central Ohio] also cautioned against the impact the casino could have on discretionary spending. “What’s that going to do to restaurant sales? What’s that going to do to arts and entertainment?“

Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady said he is worried that the casino could negatively influence the family-friendly environment at Huntington Park, which the county owns.

Job Creation: Minimum Wage Jobs?
Low Paying Jobs With "Racinos" or The Mad Hatter's Tea Party
.... a new study has found that facilities that provide both racing and casino activities create low-paying jobs that depress salaries in surrounding areas.

the average salary of racino employee is less than $14,000 annually.

The Maryland equivalent of Clyde Barrows, James Karmel, an associate professor of history at Harford Community College and a consultant for the Maryland Gaming Association goes on to say ---
.
For instance, a recent report examining expanded gaming in Massachusetts, whose income and other economic indicators Karmel says are more comparable to Maryland than West Virginia, found that the average salary for employees is $35,000..

.
If expanded gambling doesn't currently exist in Massachusetts, how valid is the AVERAGE SALARY?

Before falling prey to a predatory industry that will suck discretionary dollars from the local economy, destory local businesses, increase crime, child abuse, gambling addiction, there's some solid information available USS-Mass.