Residents of Ohio, Rhode Island and Nebraska said no to gambling measures Nov. 7 although gambling advocates outspent their opponents by millions on the campaign trial.
Voters in South Dakota, however, failed to repeal video lottery, while Arkansas lifted a statewide ban on charitable bingo and raffle games.
In Ohio, a proposed constitutional amendment known as Issue 3 would have allowed up to 31,500 slot machines at nine sites, including seven racetracks and two non-track locations in Cleveland. Issue 3 lost by a 56-44 percent margin.
The vote marks the third time since 1990 that Ohioans have voted against gambling proposals. Issue 3 would have sent 30 percent of slot machine revenues to high school graduates for grants and scholarships at all instate colleges.
The measure’s backers spent more than $20 million, likely making the battle over gambling the most expensive issue campaign in Ohio history.
David Miller, vice president for public policy at Citizens for Community Values, a pro-family organization in Ohio, told Baptist Press the election was a significant loss for gambling proponents.
“They were sure they were going to win,” Miller said. “They had a lot of sentiment moving in their direction. And I think what’s it’s saying is that Ohioans still do not like the idea of legalized gambling in their neighborhoods, in their state because of the destruction that it brings to people that can’t be avoided.”
Rhode Islanders defeated by a 63-percent margin a referendum that would have allowed a casino in West Warwick operated by the Narragansett Indians and Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. The defeat came despite a campaign in favor of the casino in excess of $15 million.
Nebraska voters said no to video keno in a 61-39 percent decision. Initiative 421 would have allowed electronic keno games in bars to replace or add to the current keno games played on paper. Keno is a bingo-like game.
Dave Bydalek, executive director of Family First, a Nebraska affiliate of Focus on the Family, told BP that voters recognized keno as a way to disguise gambling and its harmful effects.
“Nebraskans, by an overwhelming majority, basically said, ‘No. You can’t fool us. Even though it’s called video keno, we understand that, for all intents and purposes, these are slot machines. And we don’t think this is a good idea to have 600 mini-casinos across the state,'” Bydalek said.