Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says he favors having the Ohio Casino Control Commission put in charge of regulating sports betting, rather than the Ohio Lottery Commission and has met with legislators to outline his preference.
As Ohio debates a sports-betting bill, naming a regulatory agency has become a central issue. The state’s House has moved a bill naming the Lottery Commission as regulator while the state Senate has moved a bill naming the Casino Commission.
The governor has met with representatives of both commissions, and Dan Tierney, spokesman for DeWine, told the Columbus Dispatch that DeWine informed the House speaker, Senate president and sponsor of the House bill, Rep. Dave Greenspan, R-Westlake, of his preference.
Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, said he respectfully disagrees with DeWine.
“The House believes there is an unanswered question on whether the Casino Control Commission has the constitutional authority to regulate sports gaming,” he told the newspaper. “The House has no question that currently the Ohio Lottery Commission has that authority.”
Householder said he is concerned that under the Casino Commission, proceeds are not required to go toward education.
But Sen. John Eklund, R-Chardon, the sponsor of Senate Bill 111, said recently that sports wagering is traditionally conducted in gambling establishments like casinos and racinos and the Casino Commission is the right agency to regulate it.
“Regulating sports gaming through other agencies would require new, complicated government structures to do what the (Casino Commission) is already positioned to do,” he said.
