The Ohio House Finance Committee recently held a hearing on a bill co-sponsored by state Reps. Dave Greenspan and Brigid Kelly that would legalize sports betting. Under the legislation, the Ohio Lottery Commission would regulate wagering at up to 1,000 brick-and-mortar locations, including sportsbooks at the state’s 11 casinos and racinos, plus sports-betting terminals at fraternal and veterans organizations with a liquor license and other locations. As a result, Ohio would offer more sports betting locations than any other state.
The legislation also would allow online and mobile sports wagering, which is included in the Senate version of the bill. One difference is the Senate measure would delegate regulation to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Greenspan said he’s worked on the sports betting bill for the past eight months and has met with “nearly 100 interested parties” in “numerous informational meetings.” The measure does not include an integrity fee, Greenspan said, adding the issue of requiring league data to determine the outcome of certain wagers has not been finalized. Sports betting revenue would be taxed at 10 percent.
Greenspan said he used West Virginia’s sports betting industry, also regulated by a state lottery, as the model for his legislation.
No date has been set for the next hearing on the bill.
