Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Ryan Alessi of CN2 is reporting that Louisville State Senator Dan Seum has announced a propoal for bringing expanded gambling in the form of casinos to the Commonwealth. According to Alessi,

"A proposal for casinos that will have the backing of business and some horse industry leaders will include licenses for a casino in seven regions of Kentucky and a requirement that 10 percent of revenue goes to the horse industry, the measure’s sponsor told Pure Politics.

The proposal will allow for the sale of a casino license in seven regions: Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, Eastern Kentucky, southern Kentucky along I-75, southern Kentucky along I-65 and Western Kentucky. He said the entity that is awarded the license in each region can pick the location to build the casino."

Alessi, a star political reporter in Kentucky, has also made the interview with Senator Seum available via video.

Seum’s sponsorship for expanded gambling in 2014 is an about-face change from the 2012 session, when Seum, who was in favor of expanded gambling then, single-handedly undressed the bill in committee out of protest that Churchill Downs was creating a default monopoly.