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Poker champ Berman stakes claim in Ohio casinos

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By JULIE CARR SMYTH, The Associated Press Updated 12:26 PM Thursday, November 5, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The casino developer and poker champion whose bid for an Ohio casino failed in 2008 has staked a claim to all four Ohio casinos voters approved Tuesday.

Lakes Entertainment Inc. chairman Lyle Berman cut the deal in the week before the election, says Bob Tenenbaum, a spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs&Growth Committee. It is detailed in paperwork filed Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under the terms of the deal, Lakes agreed to fund 10 percent of the cost of the ballot initiative — which neared $35 million — in exchange for the option to fund 10 percent of each casino.

Allegations of Berman's involvement were made by the anti-casino TruthPAC early in October. They were denied by the campaign. Tenenbaum says the deal was struck after that time.

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November 05, 2009 05:22 PM EST

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Lyle Berman was the guy that Penn National Gaming absolutely trashed in TV commercials last year. They called him everything short of a murderer.

Now they are all business patners?!?!

Roll the Bones
3:19 PM, 11/5/2009

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