Ohio Sports Betting Coming Soon? House Passes Bill

Will the state of Ohio be the next to legalize and regulate sports betting? After over a year of meetings, hearings, and discussion, the first step towards legalized sports betting in the state has been taken. While there are many other hurdles to come, the first step forward is quite often the most important. On Wednesday, May 27th the Ohio House Finance Committee voted to recommend House Bill 194, which would put the Ohio Lottery Commission in charge of overseeing the sports betting system in the state. This includes 10% of tax on betting receipts that will benefit education and gambling-addiction programs in the state. Let’s take a look at when Ohio could see legal sports betting.

Update: Ohio House Passes Sports Betting Bill

Sports betting will be coming to Ohio, based on HB 194 passing on Thursday afternoon, May 28th. Ohio is well on its way to offering legal sports betting in the state.

Legal Sports Betting in Ohio Coming Soon?

This is the first step for Ohio, as there is a bill that will be sent to the house. It is quite likely there will be discussions and amendments to the bill, but this is the first step that all legal sports betting states have taken. This is not the only hope though, as there is another bill available in the senate as per Geoff Redick’s tweet above. What seems inevitable is a combination of the two bills, or a discussion on which one is better for the state of Ohio and its residents. Either way, good news is on the horizon as it is a year of waiting that seems to finally be coming to fruition. Delayed due to the coronavirus, discussions on who will be the regulating agency and more.

Next Step for Ohio Sports Betting

On Thursday, May 28th, Ohio’s House will be voting on HB194 that would, in essence, legalize sports betting in Ohio. The next step would be to clear the house and be voted to regulated. If HB 194 goes through, the following terms are key:

• Ohio Lottery Commission is the overseer
• 10% of betting receipts for taxes
• Would allow for mobile betting, but with possible restrictions

If another bill passes (competing bill), it would not allow for mobile sports betting. This is not what people want. Especially with Ohio having neighboring states with online sports betting like Indiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan coming in 2020/2021.

When Can I Bet on Sports in Ohio?

This is the question everyone in Ohio is wondering. When exactly legal online sports betting will be ready in Ohio. Of course, it depends on when the state passes a bill. From there, the timeline is inconsistent. For most states, there is at least a one-year process in terms of writing, regulating, and executing the process itself. In addition, it takes quite some time for the application and regulation for each of the sportsbooks. For licensing, some states require for online sportsbook operators to partner with land-based casinos. In other states, such as New Hampshire and Ohio, there is only one sportsbook operator.

With the Ohio Lottery being in charge, it will be under scrutiny for the process. Other states that have their sports betting being overseen by a state lottery have had problems, such as Delaware and Oregon. Expect Ohio to offer legal sports betting at some point in 2021, assuming all goes through.