The Ohio Select Committee on Gaming recently concluded its hearings on sports betting after nine sessions and more than 60 witnesses. Committee Chairman state Rep. Kirk Schuring said he expects a bill to be introduced this month. Earlier this month, Governor Mike DeWine stated legalizing sports betting in Ohio is “inevitable.”
Schuring said he’ll be in close contact with Senate Majority Leader Matt Huffman and committee members to draft sports wagering legislation. “I’ll be working with each individual member, looking for their input and suggestions on how we will build a bill,” he said.
At the final hearing, two speakers addressed e-bingo and six people submitted written testimony about sports betting. Renée Mancino, executive director of Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, and Dave Basler, executive director of Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, both said horseracing should receive a share of sports betting revenue if it’s legalized in Ohio, since it will impact tracks and horsemen.
Basler noted an average gambler who spends $100 at the racetrack would probably direct half of his wagering to professional sports. “Win or lose, horseracing loses on this proposition. That’s our request, that we receive a portion of the sports wagering to make up for the dilutive effect it’s unquestionably going to have if sports wagering is passed,” he said.
Whether sports betting will be regulated through the Ohio Lottery has yet to be determined, Schuring said. The committee heard from proponents who want the Ohio Lottery Commission to oversee sports betting, reasoning that small, local business which already offer Keno through the lottery also could offer sports wagering to keep and attract customers. Another plus for lottery oversight is that its profits are distributed by law to public schools statewide.
Commercial casinos, however, have lobbied to limit sports betting to their venues. Speaking before the committee, Greg Beswick, chairman of the Fair Gaming Coalition of Ohio, said, “We need to make sure that the gaming product actually helps in every city and every municipality. Unfortunately, we’ve found that the casinos haven’t quite lived up to the billing they gave us when they went on the ballot and became legal in Ohio. We’ve seen them break promises when it comes to jobs and when it comes to development in the state.”
Denis Smith, chairman of Public Education Partners, added, “We need to make sure that the legislature considers the perfect way to house the new industry of sports betting would be through the framework for the already-existing Ohio Lottery and not something prescribed to casinos.”
