The latest draft of the Ohio sports betting bill reduces the number of licenses for each casino and racino from three to two. Senator John Eklund, one of the bill’s sponsors, told LSR he considered a lot of the major details in the previous draft as just placeholders.
“They’re all subject to conversation with other senators, state reps and other interested parties,” Eklund said. “I commit to all of them that their input will be sought and considered, and I think that’s important for all parties that are interested in this to know.”
The legislature has until the end of the year to pass the Ohio sports betting law or start over again in 2021.
Other changes to the latest draft include:
- Casinos and racinos do not have to issue both of their licenses;
- Management service providers will pay $10,000 every three years to renew the license;
- Operators can no longer subtract the 0.25 percent federal excise tax paid on all wagers from their total gross receipts. There’s a renewed movement to get that tax repealed at the federal level.
There are a couple of positives that remained in the bill, among them the 8 percent tax rate; $100,000 fee for a five-year license for casinos and racinos; and no official league data mandate.
