Michigan Battles On

Michigan is in a battle over slot machines. The state currently has almost 2 dozen casinos that offer slot machines to their residents. The way it stands now the casinos have the market pretty much to themselves when it comes to all gambling other than a racetrack gambling across the state. The works and greyhound racing tracks have a desire to bring in slot machines and the casinos are obviously dead set against it as they know that it will cause their revenue to drop.
 
Roughly six years ago these casinos spent almost $20 million to keep slot machines from the state's racetracks. They ensured that the tracks would not get voter approval as they felt it would be disastrous to the revenue they were able to bring in, and it would. However it looks like they may need to start ponying up some cash as the tracks are pushing for slot machines again.
 
There is a group going by the name of Racing to Save Michigan that is working to get slot machines at racetracks on the ballots in November 2010. They say that without the additional revenue that the tracks could get from the slot machines they will have to start closing down some of these establishments as they can't afford to run them with the competition that they face from the casinos.
 
The proposed constitutional amendment would allow the state to bring in eight new casinos, but five of them would be located at the horse tracks within the state. Because of Michigan law voter approval must be obtained for this slot machine gambling expansion.