BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — A Franklin businessman wants to see casino gambling come to City Centre Mall.
Pacey Mindlin, a Middletown native, thinks the city can put a casino in the covered mall — coupling slot machines with retail shops and restaurants — to draw crowds and reap millions.
“Why let Indiana have all the gaming money? I think this is very viable,” he said.
But it's not, according to Ohio law.
Only charitable organizations with specific tax exemptions from the Internal Revenue Service are eligible to conduct games of chance in Ohio, and strict regulations govern such games. Slot machines and certain table games, such as craps and roulette, are banned.
“A city definitely would not meet that definition” of a charity, said Susan Verble, spokeswoman for the office of state Attorney General Betty Montgomery.
Mr. Mindlin was invited to present his plan in January. It was the latest in a series of ideas being discussed during a 90-day public input period to help city commissioners determine the fate of the covered mall. The most favored option so far is removing most of the roof and reopening Central Avenue to traffic, at a cost of about $17 million.
