Kentucky Begins Pondering Casino Proposal

On Wednesday, lawmakers in the state of Kentucky reviewed two separate proposals for casino gambling, the Associated Press reported. No action was taken.

The pair of bills would legalize the casinos and set up how to regulate them.

Bringing commercial casinos to the state has been under consideration for 15 straight legislative sessions, but nothing ever came to fruition. Supporters hope 2014 will be their year.

“We have to have a revenue source, and this is the best and easiest way to do it,” one Kentucky lawmaker reportedly said. Other nearby states, most notably Ohio, have turned to casinos to do just that — generate tax dollars for the state.

In Ohio, for example, the state’s cut has been significantly less than what was advertised when pro-gambling people were pushing legalization of the casinos, however.

One of the Kentucky proposals would allow up to eight casinos in the state.

The governor reportedly is behind casinos because he wants more for the state’s coffers.

“I do think that our prospects are better this year than they’ve been since I’ve been governor,” Kentucky’s governor reportedly said. “That doesn’t mean that it’ll happen. As we all know, this is a tough subject, a controversial subject.”

The bills are slated to get more hearings as the year moves on.

Right now, Kentucky doesn’t have any full-scale casinos, whether commercial or tribal.

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