Home News “Sports Gambling is Coming to Ohio,” Says the Governor

“Sports Gambling is Coming to Ohio,” Says the Governor

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Online sports betting fans may soon be rejoicing if recent news out of the state of Ohio is any indication of things to come. In a statement, Ohio governor, Mike DeWine said that sports betting legalization is “inevitable”.


Ohio sports fans, however, have been waiting on their state government to make a move for quite some time. The Covid-19 pandemic, the inability of lawmakers to put their differences aside, and legislative turnovers have seriously delayed a process that was once thought certain.


Historical American reticence to gambling


Legal gambling has been a tricky subject in the United States almost since its founding. The moral implications of such entertainment have always been hard for morally-
However, it seems that lawmakers have seen the enormous potential of regulated gambling as a tax generator, especially considering the size of the US market. This has ostensibly done wonders to change legislators’ minds — seeing the revenue benefits and seeking to regulate rather than prohibit, as had been done in the past.


The state of sports gambling in Ohio


As it currently stands, any Ohio resident who wants to legally engage in sports gambling must drive across the border into the neighboring state of Pennsylvania where mobile sports wagering is legal.


Besides Pennsylvania, Ohio’s other bordering states of Illinois, Michigan, West Virginia, and Indiana have already legalized sports betting in their regions, taking advantage of the tremendous associated revenue boosts. Perhaps peer pressure will help to push Ohio into a similar situation in the coming months.


Legislation
The Ohio Senate introduced its first bill to legalize sports gambling way back in March 2019 but it hasn’t seen much movement since. The Ohio House, on the other hand, both introduced and passed in May 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic and legislative election have seriously delayed the state’s timeline.


Senatorial delays
While working drafts of sports betting legislation have come up in multiple meetings throughout last year, the Ohio state senate has failed to act on any of the proceedings, and not much (if anything) has been accomplished. So what’s causing the delay?


Last summer, Senator Ecklund announced that there were still some details and finer points in the proposal that needed to be discussed and ironed out and that congress could not overcome disagreements about regulatory oversight of the activity. Unfortunately, it seems that the chaos of the last year was enough to derail the conversation for the foreseeable future.


The state of things to come
The good news is that both sides of the sitting Ohio Congress are in favor of legalizing sports gambling in the state. With only two more Ohio Senate Select Committee on Gaming hearings left in the session and many have whispered of a forthcoming bill after the Easter and Passover holidays.


In a recent statement, Governor DeWine said that it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” and that “sports gaming is certainly coming to Ohio.” Not a legislator himself, he refers questions back to the General Assembly for further comment but is adamant that


Unanimous support from the pro sports teams
When Doug Healy, the CFO of the Cincinnati Reds chimed in his support for this new legislation, representatives for the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Columbus Crew all echoed his sentiment.


In a statement, Ted Tywang, the general counsel for the Haslem Sports Group, owner of the Browns and the Crew said since “We are the ones who actually create the sports betting market, we feel strongly that Ohio’s legalized sports betting legislation must include market access provisions that allow the professional sports teams to participate directly.”


Unanimously in favor, the pro teams’ representatives all wanted to get both mobile license/skin and brick-and-mortar licenses for sports betting to occur at local games. The representatives also agreed on the more mundane aspects as well, such as mandating the use of official league data, effective age limits, and ongoing collaboration with operators and law enforcement.


So, when can Ohio start betting?
If all goes well in the next few hearings, there is a very real chance that Ohioans could start placing bets as early as the end of the year. Between the multi-year legislative timeline, the surrounding states’ legalization of sports betting, and the clear evidence of popular favor, it seems that legalization is just around the corner.


Despite the recent positive news and apparent support for the legalization of sports betting in Ohio, there is still the potential for many roadblocks to come. Legislation and regulation, as a rule, can take months or even years to pass or enact and a single issue might cause the entire issue to be scrapped entirely.


With luck and public support, however, there is a good chance that Ohio sports fans will be able to bet on their favorite teams in the very near future.