By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Holzberger

HAMILTON - This financially strapped city might consider taking a chance on riverboat gambling for economic relief.

Hamilton Councilman Richard Holzberger wants the city to look into the possibility of attracting a riverboat casino to the Great Miami River in the city's downtown.

With the support of Mayor Donald Ryan, he will propose at tonight's City Council meeting that city Law Director Hillary Miller explore whether a riverboat casino is a legal possibility for Hamilton. If she says it is, then Holzberger wants the city staff to investigate the positive and negative ramifications of a casino.

Holzberger said a riverboat casino could be a financial boon to Hamilton, just as they have been for Lawrenceburg and Rising Sun, Ind.

"It has great potential," he said. "Lawrenceburg has been able to repair roads and bridges and give money to help other communities and still have a surplus."

He said a casino could help revive Hamilton's downtown and generate badly needed revenue for a city that has lost about 3,000 jobs in recent years and has been hurt by state funding cutbacks.

Ryan said it makes sense to see if there's a way for Hamilton to keep the money Butler County residents are spending on Indiana riverboat casinos

"If our citizens are going to Indiana to gamble, we're losing the benefit of those dollars," he said.

Ohio law, however, bans riverboat casinos. Efforts to expand gambling in Ohio in recent years have failed, and Gov. Bob Taft adamantly opposes it.

But Holzberger, a former Butler County sheriff, said Hamilton's status as a charter city might give it home-rule exemption from that state law.

"That's what I want to explore," he said.

Orest Holubec, the governor's press secretary, declined to comment on the legal aspects of Holzberger's proposal, but he emphasized Taft's stance against expanding gambling in the state.

"He believes the social ills outweigh the economic benefits the casinos bring," Holubec said. "He also believes that relying on gambling as a stable source of income is risky."

In addition to providing additional income to Hamilton, a riverboat casino in the city could produce sales-tax revenue for Butler County.

County Commissioners Mike Fox and Chuck Furmon commended Holzberger for raising the issue, although both expressed doubts about finding a loophole in state law that would permit it.

"That's an interesting legal question," Fox said. "But there's a rule in life that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. That may apply here."

Asked to comment on the possibility of a riverboat casino in Hamilton, Larry Kinser, vice president and general manager of Argosy Casino & Hotel in Lawrenceburg, issued a statement acknowledging that "the expansion of gaming in Ohio or Kentucky would mean more competition for any Tristate business in the gaming industry."

"As always, Argosy's philosophy is to continue to provide a high-quality gaming experience in order to retain our loyal patrons and at the same time encourage visits by new customers," he said.

Ryan said that despite the criticism gambling attracts, it's worth checking into.

"I'm in favor of exploring all opportunities that will have a positive economic impact on our city and our county," he said. "We can't be afraid of negative feedback."

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com