The Ohio Fair Gaming Coalition, a group of bowling alleys, bars and other businesses that sell lottery games, as well as Ohio city mayors, said sports gambling should be regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission, not the Casino Control Commission. Last year, SB111, which would have placed the casino regulators in charge of sports betting, nearly passed but was bogged down by last-minute changes.
A sports betting bill is expected soon from the Senate Select Committee on Gaming, chaired by state Senator Kirk Schuring. The committee held seven public hearings about sports wagering in the past year.
Ohio Fair Gaming Coalition spokesman Greg Beswick said, “We’re not against the casinos. We believe that they should have access to this, but we also believe that everyone who participates in providing lottery products should have that opportunity.” He noted about 10,000 small businesses in Ohio are lottery vendors.
David Corey, spokesman for the Bowling Centers Association of Ohio, said, “The big boys don’t want us to ever have a piece of the pie, let alone the very, very small piece that we are suggesting today.” Corey said small businesses have been left out, unlike table games and slot machines at casinos and horseracing and video slots at racinos, which raked in a record statewide total of $1.9 billion in 2019.
Although casino officials testified most sports betting would be done on mobile devices, Corey said his group only wants a share of that 5 percent expected from in-person gambling. He said small businesses that sell lottery tickets have been significantly affected by the pandemic and could take advantage of on-site gamblers’ spending on food, beverages and other types of entertainment.
Lima Mayor David Berger noted allowing lottery retailers to offer sports gambling offers an “even-handed and fair” approach.
The Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding said having the lottery control sports betting would direct additional resources to fully fund the state’s K-12 schools. The Ohio Grocers Association has also testified in favor of having the Lottery Commission control sports betting.
