The budget passed by Ohio House Democrats may have smuggled in the ability to legalize slot machines in the state.  Many states are turning to slot machines as a means of brining in more revenue.  Many states across the nation have had trouble meeting the demands of their budget since the country fell into economic crisis.

No surprise but the loudest cry for slot machines in Ohio is coming from the horse racing industry.  Not only are they asking that slot machines be legalized but they are asking for exclusive rights to operate the slot machines.  According to them, slot machines may in fact be the only why to keep the Ohio horse racing industry viable.  The race industry believes that by creating the Ohio Lottery in 1973, the state made it possible to legalize slot machines with out amending the state constitution.

There is sort of a mad genius behind including slot machine authorization in the state budget.  The only input that state legislators have on approving a budget is a simple yes or no vote.  That means it a legislator votes yes, they are accepting the entire budget proposal.  There is no room to negotiate yes to part and no to another.

Only pertinent amendments are allowed to be added to the budget by a Senate House conference.  The clever House Democrats slipped into the budget a requirement for Budget Director J. Pari Sabety generate recommendations for the economic viability of state racetracks.  Enter slot machines as the pertinent solution.  Especially since the racetrack industry finds slot machines to be synonymous with viability.