The news of a proposed new racino in Youngstown, Ohio seemed to come out of left field this past weekend, and Ohio Racing Commission Executive Director Tom Fries, Jr. has related that, at this point, the announcement
sounds like a lot of talk.
"We have yet to receive an application from them for a racing license," he was quoted as saying in an article by The Plain Dealer. "We received an email last week (from principals Rick Lertzman and Dr. Bradford Pressman, part of the Mahoning Valley Development Group), asking to set up a meeting to talk about it."
The report explains that in order for the proposal to have a chance of becoming a reality in the competitive and tough Ohio market, the commission would first have to run the proposal past officials of the state's seven other tracks. That process would then have to be followed by 51 percent of gubernatorial voters in the racino area/township signing off on a petition to allow the track.
"I don't think there's any way they're going to get a racing license," Northfield Park's Dave Bianconi was quoted as saying.
(With files from The Plain Dealer)
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