by John Kady
The Ohio Roundtable said June 21 it will not file a memorandum in reply to the state's request that the Ohio Supreme Court not hear the public policy group's appeal of a lower court ruling that rejected its challenge to racetrack video lottery terminals.
The Ohio Attorney General's office May 28 asked the high court to reject the appeal, which challenges the constitutionality of the 2011 racetrack VLT law. Previously, the Franklin County Common Pleas Court and the Franklin County Court of Appeals rejected the Ohio Roundtable's contentions on the grounds the lawsuit lacks standing.
"We're going to let the courts decide (the issue)," Ohio Roundtable spokesman Rob Walgate said.
A spokesman for the state Supreme Court said it "may be some time" before the judges consider the case. Two racetracks in Ohio already are operating VLTs, and five more plan to do so in the next year to two years.