In Ohio, lawmakers recently started discussion on Senate Bill 176 which would legalize sports betting at sportsbooks and casinos and create a new lottery system and e-bingo for fundraising.
State Senator Niraj Antani said, “At the end of the day the people of Ohio wanted it, they wanted it since 2018 when the Supreme Court ruled states can in fact legalize sports betting and that’s what this bill would do.” He added the immediate goal is to get the law passed before the summer recess.
The sports betting bill would allow up to 40 3-year licenses at a fee of $1 million each, with 20 for online betting services like DraftKings and FanDuel and the other 20 for in-person betting. Providers offering both in-person and online betting would have to obtain two licenses. Additionally, Ohio’s professional sports teams could obtain a license and the Ohio Lottery would be allowed to offer sports pools with a fixed $20 buy-in.
Under the new bill, the Ohio Casino Control Commission would regulate sports betting and direct revenue from the 10 percent tax and licensing fees toward statewide public education, with 2 percent directed to problem gambling services. The Casino Control Commission would have until January 2022 to issue the licenses.
State Senator Kurt Schuring, author of the bill, said he wasn’t sure how much revenue sports betting would deliver. “This is not about revenue generation. This is about something that is occurring right now in Ohio illegally. We want to put guardrails around it, and we want to make sure it’s being done properly with the right regulatory authority.”
Schuring noted he will not hold private meetings with potential license holders until companies testify in public about the legislation.
He stated, “When we started the hearings I said I will meet with anybody individually but not before they give public testimony. I want people to tell us what they’re thinking publicly. We’ll be fair and honest and digest it, and then if behind the scenes I and others have to work on it we’ll all give them their just due. But it ain’t gonna be in some backroom someplace. I want to hear what they’re saying publicly.”
In the house, state Rep. Brigid Kelly said sports betting legislation “is still a work in progress. There was a lot of work that had been done last year. I think last year’s bill laid a good foundation but certainly, when you get new people involved in the mix, you know, it’s different perspectives, new conversations. So we’re still working on it.”
