Saturday, February 24, 2007

A majority of Kentuckians favor allowing casino gambling at the state's
racetracks, according to a Bluegrass Poll released Wednesday. The poll
conducted by The Courier-Journal of Louisville found that 52 percent of
Kentuckians favor casinos at the tracks, while 38 percent oppose them and
another 10 percent were undecided. The poll was encouraging for members of
the thoroughbred racing industry who support putting the gambling questions
to a statewide vote as a constitutional amendment. The phone survey has a
margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. "To me it just
reaffirms the people's support that they'd like to vote on gaming," said
Steve Sexton, a Churchill Downs Inc. executive vice president. The poll was
conducted between Feb. 8 and 14, and surveyed 801 adults in Kentucky. In the
General Assembly this year, bills to allow casinos at racetracks and other
sites are pending, but they aren't expected to advance during the 30-day
session. On Tuesday, House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark filed bills to allow
up to nine casinos at tracks and other locations. But Clark said he offered
them as a starting point for discussions in 2008, when the legislature meets
for 60 days. The Rev. Nancy Jo Kemper, executive director of the Kentucky
Council of Churches, said she believes gubernatorial candidates would be
foolish to embrace an issue opposed by 38 percent of Kentuckians. She said
she believes the opposition would grow if a campaign showed gambling hurt
the quality of life in communities that have casinos. "It's no way to fund
government," Kemper said. Kentucky tracks have complained for years that
their business is hurt by competition from states that have expanded
gambling. Indiana is considering expanded gambling at its racetracks, and
West Virginia, which has slots at tracks, is considering adding table games.