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The current recession in the the United States has had an adverse impact on the state of Ohios economy, which has in turn led to a discussion on the building of Ohio casinos to pump up revenues. Casinos in states surrounding Ohio including Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Indiana all are patronized by Ohio residents, as gambling is legal in all of these locations. This further establishes a financial motivation to build casinos in Ohio.

The issue of building casinos in Ohio has been a bitter struggle in the state for decades. Voters have repeatedly rejected the measure over the years, though they just narrowly voted in favor of it in the November 2009 elections. 53% of Ohio residents but only 29 out of 88 counties in the state voted to build casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. This leads to the reasons commonly given for and against the construction of casinos in Ohio.

Those who support building casinos in Ohio site job growth, both in the casinos as well as in the construction industry, as a top reason to proceed with erecting casino-based gambling venues in the state. 20, 000 new jobs were projected to result from building casinos in Ohio by the state's Jobs and Growth Committee in March 2009. The same group estimated that $600 billion in tax revenues that can help to fill a void in Ohio's budget and $1 billion in private investment could also result from Ohio-based casinos, which brings to light an overarching financial argument for bringing casinos to a state hit hard by double digit unemployment numbers and a higher number of foreclosure properties than the rest of the United States overall.

The supporters of building casinos in Ohio also cite the potentially positive impact that the casinos can have on the shops surrounding them. As an example, eateries and entertainment spots around the casinos can be patronized by casino customers looking for things to do and to eat in between going to casinos. Some may even turn their casino trips into mini getaways. In addition, new stores such as the types of souvenir shops that popped up in Atlantic City after casinos opened in that region can also be established with a casino presence in Ohio.

Building casinos in Ohio has its share of opposition just as it has its supporters. Those against casino construction do not feel that the casinos will necessarily add jobs to the struggling state. Areas such as Detroit, Michigan are commonly pointed to as examples of areas where the casino industry did not turn around a region in need of economic help.

Detroit is haunted by its weak housing market, high crime, and high unemployment figures. Not a whole lot has changed since casinos made their presence in the troubled city. They did indeed add a couple of thousand jobs to Detroit, and the city’s bottom line was enhanced by an increase in tax revenues resulting from legalized gambling. However, most of the casino patrons actually live in Detroit and surrounding areas as opposed to other states and countries, and local businesses such as restaurants have mentioned that the casinos are actually taking business away from them.

In addition to providing examples of how constructing casinos does not necessarily translate into a financial transformation for a region in economic trouble, those opposing building casinos in Ohio also point to the problem of gambling addiction and how it can adversely impact lower-income residents in an area. In some areas where gambling is currently legal, there has been discussion about how a casino's presence can negatively affect lower-income residents who gamble away the little money they have in the hopes of getting lucky and achieving financial success overnight. This can further depress an area already in distress, which is exactly what legislators should want to avoid.

The decision to build casinos in Ohio was approved by voters in November 2009 after many contentious years of their voting against the proposal. People on both sides of the issue have rather strong feelings about it. Those in favor of building the casinos discuss the potential for the casinos to create jobs and add revenue to Ohio’s economy. Individuals opposing the measure cite their cynicism with claims that the casinos would positively add to Ohio’s bottom line, and they tend to use examples of cities where gambling is legal and which have not experienced dramatic turnarounds as a result of the casinos in them. Time will tell how the building of casinos will proceed in Ohio.

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