Learn and Earn Slots Defeated

When all the dust cleared, Learn and Earn had been defeated, and slot machines would not be coming to Ohio. As of 11pm on Election Day, CNN projected that the slot machine measure, Issue 3, would be defeated. The numbers at that time were Yes: 950,717 (42%) and No: 1,324,943 (58%) with 56% of precincts reporting.

The amendment, had it been approved, would have changed the Ohio Constitution to legalize the operation and ownership of slot machines at nine different venues across the state of Ohio. Seven of those locations would have been existing racetracks; the other two would have been stand alone slot machine casinos located in Cleveland.

The campaign had pledged 30% of the slot machine revenue to educational scholarship and grant programs for high school seniors, so that they could attend an Ohio College or University of their choice. An additional 8% of the slot machine revenue would have gone to the county and town level economic development. This is the third time an attempt to bring slot machines to the state has been rejected by the voters.

Supporters could not believe that the amendment was not passed, as they felt the slot machine revenue could have done a lot for education in the state. Opponents felt that one: if it is truly an educational issue, then why is only 30% of the slot machine revenue going towards education as they felt it should be more; and two: the risk of bringing in slot machines to the state was not worth whatever they were promising.

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