Ohio Online Casino and Lottery Legalization Unlikely
The prospect of the legalization of Ohio online casinos and digital lottery products in the current legislative session appears slim, according to House Speaker Matt Huffman.
Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers briefly considered including online gambling language in the state’s biennial budget as a way to raise tax funds. However, those proposals were ultimately excluded from the final budget, and two standalone bills have since stalled.
Speaking to reporters this week, Huffman said Ohio has already experienced “extraordinary” growth in gambling over the past five years, including Ohio sports betting, and he doesn’t see more growth on the horizon.
“At some point, there is a saturation point—there’s a group of people who don’t gamble, there’s a group of people who do, maybe some people participate in different ways,” Huffman said.
Governor Mike DeWine also strongly opposed online casino expansion earlier in the year. In July, he stated that he opposed introducing online casinos and lottery games in Ohio, arguing that it was not a good idea to put a casino in everyone’s hands 24/7.
DeWine signed sports betting into law in Ohio in January 2023, but even before sportsbooks and Ohio sportsbook promos launched, a 2022 state survey found that one in five Ohioans were considered at-risk gamblers, and calls to gambling hotlines in the state rose dramatically in 2023.
Although the two standalone legalization bills got some support from major gambling companies, they drew strong resistance from faith leaders, mental health advocates, and labor groups, who argue that expanded online gambling would increase addiction issues.
Ohio regulators weigh prop bet ban amid MLB probe
While new gambling products are on hold, state regulators are also considering restrictions on existing ones. The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) is weighing a ban on prop bets, including bets on specific in-game actions, such as the first pitch of a baseball inning.
The development comes at the same time as an ongoing investigation into Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase.
At the request of Governor DeWine, the OCCC is scrutinizing microbetting markets before it drafts a rule limiting player-specific bets. In a July 31 statement, Gov. DeWine called on commissioners and players' unions across the major sports leagues to support banning microbets.
Ortiz and Clase were put on paid leave in July while MLB continued its investigation. According to the OCCC, the probe was in response to suspicious betting activity related to Ortiz’s first pitches in two games played in June. The Guardians say no other players or staff are implicated.
However, not everyone agrees with a ban. The American Gaming Association has warned that prohibition doesn’t stop betting, it just stops oversight, and that deterrence and education are the best paths forward.
