Gambling proponents are outspending their rivals at a rate of 5 to 1 to promote a ballot measure that would allow casinos in four of Ohio's largest cities, according to campaign-finance reports filed yesterday.

The group backing Issue 3 spent nearly $32 million between July and Oct. 14, which is already more than supporters of last year's failed casino campaign spent during the entire election.

Penn National Gaming Inc., which spent $36 million to defeat the 2008 ballot issue, this time has teamed up with Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert to promote casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo. Penn National and Gilbert have split the cost of this year's campaign roughly evenly.

The opposition is being bankrolled mainly by Cleveland developer Jeff Jacobs, chairman of MTR Gaming Group, which owns casinos in West Virginia and Pennsylvania and a horse-racing track near Columbus.

Jacobs and MTR provided about 95 percent of the money raised by TruthPAC, the group leading the campaign against Issue 3. The balance came from Northfield Park, a horse track in northeastern Ohio. TruthPAC reported $5.9 million in revenue and $5.4 million in expenditures between July and Oct. 14.

"We knew all along that the yes side would do anything and spend anything to try and win," TruthPAC spokeswoman Sandy Theis said. "We also know that voters are seeing through this sweetheart deal that the casinos have written for themselves."

There are at least four other groups opposing Issue 3, but none reported to the secretary of state's office that they had raised or spent significant money as of last week.

One of the groups, Democrats Against Issue 3, reported two contributions of $100,000 each: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. and Colonial Holdings, a subsidiary of one of Jacobs' companies.

Another group, Families Against Issue 3, has begun airing ads on Christian radio stations and plans to do mailings, spokesman Tim Suereth said. He said that political action committee did not report revenues and expenditures because it had nothing on the books by the cutoff date, Oct. 14.

Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-Issue 3 Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, said yesterday's filings prove that TruthPAC is the tool of rival gambling interests.

"TruthPAC hasn't told the truth, and TruthPAC has now been clearly identified as exactly what it is -- a front for a West Virginia-based casino company trying desperately to protect its own financial interests," he said in a statement.

Backers of state Issue 2, the proposed constitutional amendment to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, gave more than $4 million to that cause.

"Contributions to Issue 2 are about much more than just supporting a ballot measure," said Jack Fisher, executive vice president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and treasurer of Ohioans for Livestock Care Political Action Committee.

"They are really an investment in educating all Ohioans on farmers' commitment to excellent animal care and to providing safe, affordable, locally grown food for our consumers."

Issue 2 supporters said about $3 million of the total came from Ohio family farmers and groups representing farm organizations.

Records show about $1.2 million came via more than 100 donations from out-of-state organizations, ranging from the Delaware Farm Bureau to the Arizona Pork Council to the Texas Turkey Federation to the Hawaii Cattlemen's Council. Eli Lily Co. of Indianapolis added $25,000.

The drive to pass state Issue 2 was led by a dozen six-figure donations. The Ohio Farm Bureau chipped in about $535,000 overall, although the largest single contribution, $200,000, came from United Egg Producers in Alpharetta, Ga.

There were no contributions or expenditures reported by Issue 2 opponents, including the Humane Society of the United States.

No campaign-finance reports were filed on Issue 1, which would authorize the state to borrow and spend $200 million in bonds for bonuses for war veterans.

Dispatch Public Affairs Editor Darrel Rowland contributed to this story.

jnash@dispatch.com

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Coming Sunday • Results from the latest Ohio newspaper poll on the casino vote, Gov. Strickland's performance and other key issues