Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley has a plan to make betting on a football or baseball game just as easy as playing the lottery. Stop at a restaurant, bar, convenience store and place a bet. It’s that simple.
“Sports bars throughout the state and small towns should also be able to make some additional revenue from sports betting when everyone gathers for Monday night football, or Thursday night football, or for Saturday college football,” Cranley said.
Cranley has called on the Ohio Lottery Commission to authorize sports betting, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. He also criticized the decision to allow the state Casino Control Commission to dole out licenses.
If the lottery is approved, more money would be raised for education as is the proceeds from the lottery, which raises more than $1 billion a year for public schools.
`This would hurt schools, Cranley said, particularly in small towns, by drawing away revenue from the Ohio Lottery. The lottery generates more than $1 billion a year for public schools.
“This will drive business away from small towns, small businesses, convenience stores and sports bars,” Cranley said. “And sports bars, under my plan, just like we have 10,000 licensed lottery salespeople throughout the state of Ohio, we would license those people who want to go to sports betting.”
Not everyone is enamored. State Rep. Bill Seitz said the schools will still get 98 percent of the tax revenue from sports gambling.
But he doesn’t think allowing sports betting to proliferate like the lottery is wise.
“You’ve got to have rules, licensure,” Seitz said.
Republicans have two bills pending in the Ohio General Assembly to allow people to bet on sports. Seitz said the legislature is poised to deliver something for Governor Mike DeWine to sign by the end of the year.
The Republican proposal would create up to 25 mobile licenses for the casinos and sports teams; 40 brick-and-mortar store licenses for sports gaming, including a casino, a betting window at a ballpark or other stadium or a standalone betting parlor; bars and restaurants for just basic bets.
Counties with 800,000 or more residents would be eligible for five brick-and-mortar licenses. The number declines with the population count.
