A major disagreement between two bills currently active in the legislature that would legalize sports betting has been rectified. Although few expect a bill to be adopted this year, eliminating friction between different versions could make it easier to pass one next year.
The current legislative session will continue until the end of 2019.
In March, the first such bill proposed in the Buckeye State was introduced—in the Senate. It would have allowed mobile sports betting statewide. Soon a House bill was filed without that element.
Now, however, the House bill is still evolving, and one of its amendments added the statewide mobile betting element. This is seen as a vital element for any sports betting bill likely to succeed economically and raise any significant amount in state taxes. Another reason for including it is the remove the temptation for bettors to continue to patronize illegal out of state websites and apps.
Where the bills now divide is on who would regulate sports betting. The Senate bill gives that task to the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) while the Ohio Lottery would regulate sports book in the House bill.
It is not uncommon for states to hand over this responsibility to the lottery. That’s true in Iowa, for example.
One reason the House sponsors like the Lottery is that it would remove the need to amend the Ohio constitution to allow a change to the state’s “gambling” laws. However, backers of the OCCC also believe it could legally add sports betting to the allowable gaming activities, without going to the voters.
Governor Mike DeWine hasn’t chosen sides, although he has made it plain that he considers a sports betting law to be inevitable.
The Senate bill needs to be assigned to a committee. The House bill has been assigned to the House Finance Committee. No hearings have been scheduled.
