The Ohio Senate recently held its first hearing on SB 176, which would legalize sports betting. Some changes were suggested based on findings by the Senate Select Committee on Gaming, which had been working on a sports betting bill since February.
SB 176 would allow 20 Class A licenses and 20 Class B licenses. Existing casinos and racetracks could apply for a Class A license, and brick-and-mortar facilities could apply for a Class B license, which would allow prop betting options only. State Senator Kirk Schuring and other interested parties have said they’d prefer an open bidding process. However, the casinos, professional sports teams and leagues throughout Ohio wanted the licenses to be associated with existing gaming operations. Schuring said he had no intention of “spoon-feeding” anyone a license.
Lawmakers hope to have a final resolution of SB 176 by the end of June. If it passes, Ohio sports betting could launch later in the year, hopefully by the start of the 2021 National Football League season, observers said.
Meanwhile, an opposition group, Get Gaming Right Ohio, issued a statement noting SB 176 would allow slot-like electronic bingo games in nearly 900 locations statewide, offering “unprecedented and unchecked gambling access to Ohio residents, including teenagers.”
The group is supported by JACK Entertainment, MGM Resorts and Penn National, which own a total of seven of the state’s 11 casinos and racinos. Earlier, the group opposed HB 65, which would have allowed expanded electronic bingo.
For fiscal year 2020 that ended June 30, Ohio’s four casinos reported $452.6 million in slot revenue for fiscal year 2020, and the state’s seven racinos posted $820.9 million in net revenue. Casinos and racinos closed from mid-March to mid-June last year due to Covid-19.
