Editor
Ohio has a bill in the house that could enable gambling beyond sports betting. The legislation could also allow virtual poker and other online casino games, which would be available on mobile, laptop, or desktop.
They could be joining neighboring states Michigan and Pennsylvania in expanding online gambling, as those are two of the largest states to have legalized online poker.
The Buckeye State’s 11.9 million people could soon have access to more than just sports betting as Ohio Rep. Brian Stewart is working on a bill to establish iGaming in the state. The main goal is to generate additional revenue for Ohio. The state republicans approved the proposal, which is not an entirely new one, as it was proposed two years ago.
The basis for the proposal was summed up by leading lawmakers: Republican Reps. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville), Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Twp.), and Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) wrote in a letter:
“These tax revenue benefits to the state and funding that could be provided to our K-12 education system cannot be overlooked.”
“We believe that iLottery and iGaming could be a net benefit to the state of Ohio. The reality is that many other states are moving in this direction and Ohioans are already using the illicit market, the General Assembly should give serious consideration to iGaming and iLottery with extensive vetting.”
There is some worry that an implementation of iGaming could have an adverse effect on the casinos in the state of Ohio. The gambling industry is concerned about iGaming and will want to have assurances that the four casinos in the state will still get plenty of traffic even if iGaming is introduced. The state’s casinos offer classic casino games as residents of the state can learn how to play video poker and 3 card poker.
Ohio’s gambling laws still need plenty to be ironed out before the legislation can pass, as this story will be sure to have many developments.
