COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio voters hard hit by the economic downturn opened their state to casino gambling Tuesday after an expensive campaign promising thousands of jobs.



Passage of Issue 3 marked a significant victory for Penn National Gaming Inc. and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who spent nearly $35 million promoting four big-city casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo as the Ohio Jobs & Growth Plan.



With 91 percent of precincts reporting unofficial results, Issue 3 passed 53 percent to 47 percent.



"It's pretty obvious that the Ohio electorate bought into the whole culture of despair that's going on with the economy," said gambling opponent David Zanotti of the Ohio Policy Roundtable.



Ohio becomes the 39th state to legalize casinos and a coveted prize that had held out among neighboring casino states Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. TruthPAC, backed by MTR Gaming Inc. chairman Jeffrey Jacobs, spent almost $6 million opposing the measure.



Tuesday's vote — which followed four failed Ohio gambling issues in 20 years — was met with immediate resistance. State Rep. Lou Blessing, a Republican who fought the plan, said he plans to push a ballot issue next May that amends elements of the plan, collects more taxes from the casinos, and put the licenses up for bid.



Lawmakers cannot make changes to the casino outline without going to the ballot because it was inserted into the state Constitution.



"I don't know how even the newspaper that endorsed this issue could possibly object to that," Blessing said. "There are some obvious problems that need to be fixed."



The Humane Society of the United States also vowed a future Ohio ballot issue after it was struck a blow by the passage of Issue 2, which creates a new board to oversee livestock care. The issue was approved by 64 percent of voters, with 91 percent of precincts reporting.



The issue was intended to thwart efforts by animal right groups to outlaw holding sows, hens and veal calves in cramped cages or crates.



Michael Markarian, the Humane Society's chief operating officer, said the group will return to Ohio with a future ballot measure that protects animals.



"By packaging Issue 2 as a pro-animal and pro-food safety measure, the factory farming interests really did everything they could to ensure its passage," he said. "We never really viewed it as a poisonous measure but we viewed it as an empty one, because it doesn't achieve any reforms for animal welfare."



Large farm operators mounted a $4 million campaign to pass the issue, which was backed by Gov. Ted Strickland, while environmental, animal rights and other activists fought it mostly through the press and the Internet.



Ohio voters also passed Issue 1, which will pay bonuses of up to $1,000 to war veterans who served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq, was approved by 73 percent of voters, with 55 percent of precincts reporting.



In big-city mayor's races, incumbent Democrats Mark Mallory of Cincinnati and Frank Jackson of Cleveland won re-election.



Voting went smoothly statewide except for a glitch in Summit County, which includes Akron. The county ran out of ballots around 5 p.m. and had to turn away some voters. Poll workers contacted them and asked them to return after printing more ballots.



Twinsburg, Green and Tallmadge all had local issues, including for schools and a tax increase, that led to a surge in turnout that was unexpected among local election officials. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said turnout in Summit County could approach 40 percent. Polls still closed at the scheduled time of 7:30 p.m.



Backers of the casino issue spent more than $35 million pushing the plan, saying it would create 34,000 temporary and permanent jobs. Combined with anti-casino TruthPAC, the two campaigns spent more than presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain spent trying to win the pivotal swing state in 2008.



TruthPAC spokeswoman Sandy Theis called it a sad day for the state.



"Many Issue 3 supporters genuinely believe it will help Ohio's economic recovery. I hope they are right. I fear they are wrong," she said. "Issue 3 is riddled with loopholes that will shortchange Ohio, muzzle the casino watchdogs and exempt cash wagers from the taxes casinos pay."







On The Net:



Pro-Casino Campaign: www.yesonissue3.org



Anti-Casino Campaign: www.truthpac.org