Posted on Nov 8, 2006 | by David Roach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--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 eligible high school graduates for grants and scholarships at all in-state 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."

Pro-family voters in Ohio must remain vigilant because pro-gambling interests now will likely ask the state legislature to approve slots, Miller said.

"Pro-family interests and concerns are going to have to continue to watch very closely," he said. "I think we need to make sure we let our elected officials know how we feel about this and exhort them every time we can that there is too much harm, too many negatives from expanded legalized gambling."

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.

Though casino proponents say they plan to keep fighting for their cause, Jan L. Jones, senior vice president for communication and government relations for Harrah's, told the Kent County Daily Times the company is unlikely to pursue a casino in Rhode Island any further.

Patty Doyle, a spokesperson for the anti-Casino group Save Our State, told the Daily Times a diverse array of Rhode Island residents recognized the harmful effects of casinos.

"I do not think that it was one thing in particular that secured us the vote," she said. "We were always pretty confident that Rhode Islanders would take a good hard look at this deal and realize what it was, which was a bad deal from them and for our state."

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, which by some estimates provides the casino with an advantage against the player that is greater than any other gambling game.

Dave Bydalek, executive director of Family First, a Nebraska affiliate of Focus on the Family, told BP 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.

"I think it sends a message to the expanded gambling folks that Nebraskans are not ready to do this right now and they don't want expanded gambling," he said.

Pro-family Nebraskans must continue to fight gambling because it still poses a danger to the state and gambling proponents will continue to advocate for its expansion, Bydalek said.

"All the other side has to do is win once, and we'll never get rid of the casino-type games once they get instituted," he said. "Even though we can be thankful for and give glory to God for the victory that we had last night, we have to remain vigilant."

In South Dakota 67 percent of voters rejected a repeal of video lottery known as Initiated Measure 7.

Supporters of the measure argued that social costs of gambling were too high and that the $112 million annual revenue from video lottery could be replaced by other means.

In Arkansas, voters approved Constitutional Amendment 1 to lift a ban on charitable bingo and raffle games in the state. The amendment restricts the games to authorized nonprofit groups that have existed for five years, including religious, educational, veterans and civic organizations.

With 75 percent of precincts reporting, 70 percent of voters approved the amendment.

In other Nov. 7 votes on various issues:

-- In Wisconsin, voters passed by a 56-percent majority a non-binding initiative asking the state legislature to reinstate the death penalty in homicide cases where a conviction is supported by DNA evidence.

--Boise, Idaho residents voted 53-47 percent against moving a Ten Commandments monument back to a city park. The monument was removed in 2004.

--In California and Washington, conservatives failed to unseat two judges who could impact future "gay marriage" cases. California voters retained state Supreme Court Justice Joyce Kennard. With 36 percent of precincts reporting, Kennard held more than 75 percent of the vote. In Washington, state Sen. Stephen Johnson failed to unseat Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens, who voted this summer with the minority to legalize "gay marriage."

-- Colorado voters rejected by 57-43 percent an initiative that would have limited state Supreme Court justices and appellate court judges to 10 years in office.

--In South Dakota an overwhelming majority of voters opposed a constitutional amendment creating a special grand jury of South Dakotans to review complaints and impose fines, jail sentences and removal from office against officials with judicial immunity. With 73 percent of precincts reporting, the amendment was losing 90-10 percent.
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