An outgoing senator who was integral in passing Ohio sports betting legislation is looking to start the ball rolling on online casino legalization in the Buckeye State.
Sen. Niraj Antani filed a bill that would legalize online casino apps in Ohio. Antani said Ohio sports betting legislation took more than three years and approximately 30 bill iterations, and he expects a similar path for this issue.
“A journey has to start somewhere,” Antani said. “We want to kickstart the process. A good group of legislators are thinking thoughtfully about this issue, but many of my colleagues haven’t had the opportunity, and I hope this will start the conversation.
“It won’t be an easy path; any time you have interests that are seeking to influence a bill, it will get complicated. That will happen with this bill, and that’s OK.”
Ohio online casino proposal
Antani’s bill would allow Ohio’s 11 casinos to offer online casino apps. The Ohio Casino Control Commission would regulate the industry.
He set the tax rate at 15%. Ohio’s sports betting tax rate was raised to 20% from 10% last year just six months after sportsbooks launched.
The bill also establishes an initial license fee of $300,000 with an application fee of $100,000. Licenses would carry a $250,000 renewal fee.
Responsible gambling included
The legislation also requires license holders to pay $250,000 annually to Ohio’s problem gambling fund. Antani said it was important to him to tie the apps to existing casinos and the state’s responsible gambling efforts.
He also said creating a regulated market so Ohioans have the freedom to legally play online casinos was crucial in drafting the bill.
“There is no reason law-abiding Ohioans shouldn’t be able to play poker or blackjack or a spin of the roulette wheel or slot machine,” Antani said. “We see this in the evolution of gaming in our state, and this is the next step toward freedom.
“The people want this, and I want them to be able to do this.”
Bill unlikely to move this year
Antani is term-limited and will leave the legislature at the end of the year. A lame-duck session this November would be his only chance to discuss the issue.
He said while the legislation is unlikely to move in 2024, he wants to familiarize lawmakers with the issue and leave a lasting mark on the topic.
“I’ve done this a long time, I understand where we are,” Antani said. “We’ll follow the process and this will help socialize this subject.”
Ohio study group completed
Last year, the Ohio legislature created the Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio. The commission met several times earlier this year before turning in a report this summer.
The report included several adjustments to Ohio sports betting law and legislator recommendations to legalize online casinos. Three lawmakers said, “iGaming could be a net benefit to the state of Ohio.”
“While the state should proceed with caution and care with any expansion of this magnitude, with the right regulatory framework, these types of gaming can thrive with nominal impact to our current system,” Reps. Jay Edwards, Jeff LaRe and Cindy Abrams wrote.
Online casino opposition
In the report, Sen. William DeMora wrote that while online casinos would be a “massive revenue source,” he worries about its disruption to brick-and-mortar casinos.
A representative from JACK Entertainment called online casinos a threat to Ohio businesses and Ohio employment. Miami Valley Gaming also expressed concerns about the potential cannibalization of existing casino revenue.
However, multiple operators, including Caesars Entertainment, MGM, and Penn Entertainment, support online expansion.
