Victory for Gamblers in Ohio

After much debate and anticipation a decision has been made regarding gambling in the great state of Ohio. The decision was ruled in the favor of casinos! The referendum legalized 4 new casinos in the state this Monday.

This news is a huge victory for many casino operators. As a result of this referendum the state of Ohio’s Constitution will now be amended allowing casinos in the state’s four largest cities: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. In order to start, casino operators must pay an up-front fee of no less than $50 million to the state for a licensing fee. After purchasing the licensing fee, casino operators are required to invest at least $250 million into each casino facility. The state will run a permanent 33% tax on all facilities.

American gambling laws have prevented such facilities from being opened in the past, but the real power lies in the hands of the states. Some of the states are in such financial trouble that the prospect of allowing gambling has become very attractive. This is a good thing for all the punters out there. The smarter states are conforming to this wave of popular demand.

The issue of internet gambling in the United States is still foggy. There is no law that says it’s illegal and no law that says it’s legal explicitly. The signs of progress regarding land-based gambling imply that there may be some federal action that would allow online gambling as well, in the near future. As the states warm up to the idea of allowing online gambling as well as land-based gambling, the federal government has turned a keen eye to the revenues that are being collected by the states.

These happening give more than just a glimmer of hope to online gambling sites in the USA. Explicitly legal online gambling in the US could become a reality very soon.