After being approved by Ohio voters several years ago, casinos will soon be opening in Ohio as early as this May. Recently, we in Columbus have been working on HB 386 to iron out the implementation language needed before the casinos can officially open.

We are all eager to put Ohioans to work in the casinos. Also, the revenue they generate will greatly help our state in these tough economic times. It is important, however, that we recognize that as gambling increases in Ohio, so too will problems with gambling addiction.

Research says that as we open the doors to gambling in Ohio, we can expect an estimated 107,000 “new” addicted and problem gamblers who will need treatment. National studies also show that three-quarters of pathological gamblers have an alcohol use disorder (73 percent) and that 38 percent have a drug use disorder.

Some of the money the state receives from a tax on Casino revenue will help support gambling addiction and substance abuse. I fought successfully in committee to have amended into the bill additional addiction recovery funding. In this case, the funding will also come from the horse tracks when they add video lottery terminals (slot machines).

If we are going to have gambling in Ohio, I believe we must approach it in a responsible way. With funding in place to help those with addiction problems, we can improve our chances of helping Ohioans beat their addictions. Also, by meeting addiction head-on, we can produce healthy Ohioans who can contribute to turning around our economy and contribute to our economy in the future.

We are in the process of planning our monthly “Lundy Listens” session for March. We’ll update you shortly. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions about state government at 614-644-5076 or district57@ohr.state.oh.us. I work for you and look forward to serving you.