On May 24th, 2008, The Governor of the state of Ohio, Governor Ted Strickland has factored in the revenue that will come from the keno games to the state budget for the year ended on June 30th, 2008. The Governor hopes that the profits that keno games will produce will be helpful in solving the burgeoning state budget deficit.
Governor Ted Strickland, who has previously been a vocal critic of any kind of gaming expansion in the state of Ohio, commented that the state can greatly benefit from the profits that the game of keno will produce, which is $73 million in total profit. But despite of that apparent change, Strickland is still against video lottery terminals and Instant Racing machines at Ohio's seven horse racing tracks.
Advocates of the gaming machines at the horse racing tracks said that Strickland's decision is unfair because keno is still considered to be a gambling games and keno does not need any skill on the part of the player. The games will be offered in pubs and business establishments throughout the state. In order to play keno, players need to mark fifteen to twenty numbers in their keno ticket and give it to the runner to be marked.
If those numbers come out during the draw, then the player will win. The player payout will be based on how many numbers that they have managed to get. The game does not need any go signal from the state voters. Just last year, some horse racing tracks in Ohio began offering video games of skill but were force to stop because of a legislative decision making the games illegal.
John M. Thorpe
Published on: [22-06]
