Lawmakers in Ohio are scrambling to pass sports betting legislation in the lame-duck session of the legislature over the coming weeks, as two of the three sponsors of sports-betting bill SB 111—Republican Rep. Dave Greenspan and Democratic Senator Sean O’Brien—lost their bids for re-election on November 3.
Last week, the Senate General Government and Agency Review Committee held a hearing on a draft compromise bill to the original SB 111.
“I think this hearing will inform and refresh in the minds of the committee the work that we have done over the summer and continue to do on the Senate bill,” state Senator John Eklund, co-sponsor of SB 111, told the Gambling.com news site. “Those that are in favor of the bill, they will continue to support the legislation, but I don’t believe there is a firm belief of which bill would be the bill, whether the Senate or the House. We are prepared to move forward.”
The Senate bill and the House bill, HB 194, would need to be passed and compromise legislation cleared in November and December, or the new legislature would need to start over in January.
The latest HB 194 proposal cut the number of Ohio sports betting licenses to two for each casino and racino operator in the state, down from three in the September version of the bill. It would mean a total of 22, down from 33. It also offers an 8 percent tax rate, a $100,000 fee for a five-year license and no official league data mandate.
The House bill has called for the Ohio Lottery Commission (OLC) to be the chief regulator, while the Senate bill puts control with the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC).
College sports within the state would be allowed for sports wagers on the NCAA Division I level, but college club sports would not.
Neighboring Pennsylvania, Indiana and West Virginia already have strong sports betting markets.
