On July 24th, 2008, at least three area pastors are not too in favor of keno, the new game of the Ohio Lottery that will start on August. It will be offered in bars, restaurants and restaurants all over the state by next month. Reverend El Akuchie of the Richland County Prayer Network and the head of the Godsfield House of Prayer on Dawson Avenue, Pastor Donnie Moss of the Reigning in Life Church of Lexington and Pastor Jack Sharp of Lexington Presbyterian Church voiced their criticism on the game's effect on the poor.
Keno is a game that can reward a player up to $100,000 even on a single dollar wager. The Ohio Lottery will randomly draw twenty numbers from a pool of eighty numbers every 4 minutes from 11:04 a.m. to 1:44 a.m. The game will be offered by retailers that passed the regulations of the Lottery Commission. Akuchie said that he is disappointed with the decision of Governor Ted Strickland to offer keno even though he is an ordained pastor and Ohio is facing a $733 million budget deficit.
Joe Clark's Decker's Depot in Lexington also applied for a keno license. Clark said that he did not expect any trouble at all when he applied for a keno license even though Sharp and Moss patronized his business. The two pastors said that there are around 6 churches from Decker's and twenty churches in the greater Lexington area. Sharp said that he spent around twenty-five years in Brazil and saw what the effect of gambling to the poor is. Sharp added while they are asked regarding a business' liquor permit, they were never asked about the game of keno.
[06-08]
Louis Blechdom
