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In Ohio: With six months to go till election day in November, a group in Ohio has been collecting signatures to once again get a referendum on this year's ballot. The group, MyOhioNow, hopes to see a casino built in Clinton County which is southeast of Dayton. But attracting support in Ohio could be a huge challenge since Ohioans soundly defeated other gambling referendums in 1990, 1996 and 2006.

In Kentucky: Meanwhile, a proposal to add casino gambling at racetracks has been quashed. Kentucky's governor announced recently that he was not able to get enough support in the legislature for his proposal to add casinos at racetracks. Look for the proposal to resurface, however, at a future legislative session.

Massachusetts nixes casino proposal

A proposal from Gov. Duval Patrick that would have cleared the way for three destination casinos in Massachusetts was voted down by the legislature last week. Industry heavyweights such as Harrahs, Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts had expressed interest in operating casino resorts in the state. But, the state's House of Representatives turned down any commercial gambling by an overwhelming margin. However, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, located in Massachusetts, could still move ahead with gaming on their tribal lands.

Meanwhile, in Kentucky, a special subcommittee in that state's legislature has recommended a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow nine casinos to be licensed in Kentucky. Free standing casinos would require voter referendums in the cities or counties where they would be located, similar to the way gaming was introduced in Kansas and Iowa. The continuing interest in gambling expansion does make one wonder whether the market for gaming will ever reach a saturation point.