Kentucky lawmakers are now studying proposals that will amend their constitution in a bid to accommodate four casinosacross the Bluegrass State.
WCPO TV 9 reported that State Reps. Dennis Keene and Rick Rand have pre-filed BR-197, which seeks to legalize casinos and at the same time expand pari-mutuel gambling, in the first week of December.
Kentucky, currently one of the 10 U.S. states that does not have a casino offering, is becoming more receptive to the measure compared to the previous years, according to Keene.
Aside from allowing casinos in the state, Keene’s bill also opened the possibility of allowing sports betting in Kentucky.
The cash-strapped state is now pushing for the legalization of casinos because it needs new revenue streams to straighten its budget and salvage the state pension plan. Kentucky wants to recapture the money that its residents spend in neighboring gambling venues, according to the report.
In the historic coal town of Jenkins, Kentucky, residents are already throwing their support for the opening of casinos in the wake of high unemployment rate, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
Meanwhile, lobby group Jobs 4 Kentucky has already gather signatures of Jenkins residents supporting the initiative.
“Responsible gaming is the pride of the modern gaming entertainment industry,” the pro-casino group said in a statement posted on its website. “The Citizens of Kentucky can count on an expanded gaming community to operate responsibly and with care for our people.”
Despite the growing support, several lawmakers believe that BR-197 faces a steep uphill climb in the Congress.
One of the factors why the casino measure has not moved forward in Kentucky is the disagreements over the casinos’ location. Social conservatives are exerting pressure on Congress not to allow gambling expansion in the state, while the Kentucky’s influential horse industry wants casinos confined in the tracks.
There were casino bills that had been filed over the past years, but Keene said these measures met their untimely demise in the Congress because “there’s not been the political courage to pass it.”
The post Cash-strapped Kentucky takes another look at legalizing casinos appeared first on CalvinAyre.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment