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Ohio Governor Ted Strickland insists he will press ahead to try and get slot machines in Ohio horse tracks in spite of a state supreme court ruling that the decision is not his to make.

The seven member court this week ruled that regardless of what financial hardships the state may be facing, the decision to put slots in the state's seven tracks is up to voters.

Strickland's budget proposal allowed for as many as 17,500 slot machines which would be at tracks, including Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio starting in May next year.

The challenge was filed by a Columbus based grass roots organization called 'Let-Ohio-Vote'.

Its spokesman, Carlo Loparo, tells Fox 8 News the movement is made up of people who both support and oppose slot machine gambling in Ohio, but who agree on the belief that it should go to a referendum.

"If individuals in the Cleveland area support expanded gambling we want to give them an opportunity to vote for it" Loparo tells Fox 8's Dave Nethers.

"If they don't support expanded gambling then they can vote against it, however they need to have the right to vote on whether the state expands gambling."

In Cleveland on Monday, Governor Strickland called the ruling disappointing, but he is not a person who gives up easily.

Strickland told reporters "Once we fully understand the decision we will determine next steps, but i do not believe that this has taken away our ability to continue to pursue VLTs at our racetracks our strategy might change but i am determined to press forward."

The governor hopes the slots will raise more than 900 million dollars to help fill a hole in the states budget. But at Thistledown the track's very future may lie on whether or not it gets slot machines."

"Obviously we are disappointed that the supreme court voted to delay the slots" said Thistledown spokesman Bob Roberts.

"But we are also encouraged that the governor is looking for ways to go forward."

Roberts says it is too late to get a referendum on the ballot in November, so the earliest voters would see it is spring of 2010.

Voters in November will still decide on whether or not Ohio will allow casinos, which is a completely separate issue.

Governor Strickland is holding out hope that his staff will find a way to stay within the ruling of the court and be able to still get slots at the race tracks.

"I am disappointed but not discouraged and i think there are courses of action that we can take that will enable us to reach our goal consistent with what the court has said" Strickland added.

At Thistledown on tuesday many patrons were still hoping the track would get slots, but if left up to the voters some were not optimistic.

"Every time it seems to go on the ballot they vote it down" said Harold Greenberg of Shaker Heights, whose thoughts were echoed by another Shaker Heights resident Paul Rhodes.

"Ohio has never passed any kind of a law when it went to a vote so it really doesn't look that good".

Governor Strickland seems more optimistic.

"I can tell you that the polling that I am aware of indicates that there is a vast majority of ohioans that support the slots initiative" said Strickland.

"So if it goes to the ballot I believe it will be supported by the people of Ohio"