Ohio legislators have begun holding meetings in advance of writing a bill that would legalize sports betting in the Buckeye state. The meetings are being led by Senators John Eklund and Sean O’Brien.
Eklund told SportsHandle, “We’re taking the information we gathered at these meetings and the sponsors will get together and see if we can put some meat on the bones.” He added, “We’ll draft a bill and then entertain comments and suggestions, and I’d hope we might have a substantive bill ready to go. If not, we might need some more meetings.”
The plan is to produce an outline within two weeks and a draft bill shortly thereafter. The two chambers have several sessions scheduled for November and December and they would like to pass a bill by the end of the year. That way a new bill won’t have to be introduced at the beginning of the new legislative session when a new governor will also be sworn in.
The first meeting made some time for opponents of such a bill, including horseman’s groups, business groups, representatives of universities and think tanks.
Eklund commented, “I’m getting the impression that there are many, many different things that could be done that may not even be directly related to sports betting. There are some groups that would like to see no sports betting at all, but we crossed that Rubicon some time ago. There were some thoughtful suggestions for if we are going to do it, what kind of bumpers should be in place around the process.”
One group argued for the need of strongly regulating sports betting, while others want to ensure there is a well-regulated framework for allowing online sports betting.
IDEA Growth founder Jeff Ifrah said his group seeks to “show how online and mobile gaming can benefit Ohio” and that it will share its data on a 2016 study conducted in New Jersey. It will also propose model legislation.
The horseman’s groups wanted to see how racetracks might cash in on sportsbook by having a percentage of the revenue set aside for the racing industry. Such a proposal is under discussion in neighboring Kentucky.
In the second meeting lawmakers heard from veterans and fraternal organizations, a think tank, racetrack operators, representatives of the state’s casinos, daily fantasy companies and bars. Tavern owners are interested in hosting sportsbook. Also discussed was what agency would be appropriate to put in charge of the activity, such as the Ohio Lottery or Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Eklund pronounced himself satisfied with the meetings’ progress. He says he is in no hurry. “I see this going to Senate leadership and we’re going to put something together that is more of a substantive bill, so it can be offered as an amended bill either the next time we’re in session or even before that. My hope is to get something that is a product of all these meetings we’ve been having,” he told SportsHandle.
