Ohio bishops oppose casino gambling issue

The Catholic Bishops of Ohio are urging a “no” vote at the November 3 eledtion on on State Issue 3 , the proposed Constitutional Amendment that would allow casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.

The bishops are “not opposed” on Issue 1, the proposed Constitutional Amendment that would authorize the state to issue bonds to compensate veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts.

The bishops support passage of Issue 2, the proposed Constitutional Amendment that would create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.

Here is the statement on the casino gambling issue:

"The Catholic Conference of Ohio has opposed all previous statewide casino and slot machine initiatives. The Catholic Bishops in Ohio continue to believe casino gambling, as proposed in Issue 3, is not in the best moral, social and economic interests of the citizens of our state. More persons and families will be seduced into financial hardship, rather than helped. More societal problems will be aggravated, rather than improved. Furthermore, Issue 3 appears to us to be poorly written and overindulgent toward the gambling interests of private business. Since Issue 3 is a Constitutional amendment, voters have no recourse for fixing such concerns except to pass another Constitutional amendment. This flawed casino proposal should not be enacted into our Ohio Constitution."

In arriving at their decisions, the Bishops of Ohio cite relevant Catholic Social Teaching and suggest several questions for reflection by voters in making prudential judgments on these issues. Parishioners can click here for detailed background on all three issues