Lawmakers discuss expanding Ohio gambling laws to phones

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- An expansion to different types of gambling could soon be coming in Ohio.

“Gaming is going to be expanded,” Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) said. “I mean, to think that we’re somehow going to go back to the puritan age where gambling is not prevalent in Ohio is foolishness.”

Throughout the spring, lawmakers like DeMora sat on a study commission for the "future of gambling in Ohio." They released their recommendations and findings last month and now the co-chair of the commission, Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville), said they are starting to think of how the legislature can move forward.

“I think there's definitely an interest by the legislature, some of us,” Edwards said. “I'm not sure there's an interest in the administration. That's fine and that's the way it's supposed to be, and that's the legislative process.”

For example, in February, the Ohio Casino Control Commission banned proposition, or “prop-betting,” on individual college athletes at the request of the NCAA. Now some lawmakers on the commission, like Edwards and DeMora, are requesting that be restored.

DeMora said while he is in favor of prop-betting on student athletes, he wants parameters, like preventing people in Ohio from betting on Ohio collegiate athletes.

“An athlete, a student, an 18-year-old on campus shouldn't be getting pressure from other students about how his performance is going to be,” he said. “But why am I being prevented from getting a bet for a football player in Tennessee or in California or Texas? I think we need to revisit that.”

Another big part of the conversation is about bringing more gambling to your fingertips.

“iGaming, iLottery have been a part of this conversation,” Edwards said.

On both sides of the aisle, members want to be sure the implementation of online gambling or lottery does not come at the expense of brick-and-mortar locations. In Ohio, according estimates by the American Gaming Association, commercial casinos, retail sports betting and mobile sports betting support nearly 34,000 jobs, with an annual tax impact of more than $1 billion in Ohio.

Lawmakers also want to consider bringing the tax down for sports betting. It currently sits at 20%, which is double the rate it started at just a year and a half ago when sports betting first became legal in Ohio.

In the report, Representatives Jeff LaRe (R-Violet Twp.), Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and Edwards, wrote that doubling the tax rate “hampered the growth that was occurring and made other companies think twice about coming to Ohio to invest.” DeMora agreed.

“The state wants revenue,” he said. “And if doubling that tax is hurting the overall revenue the states bringing in, it needs be looked at again.”

Edwards said he is hoping conversations about changes kick off during the legislative lame-duck session in November or December.

“We might start a conversation," Edwards said. "It might open people's eyes with the information that we bring forward and how much support we have, and we'll see where it goes.”

On both sides of the aisle, members of that study commission also put an emphasis on continuing investments for gambling addiction services. In 2022, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services found that one in every five gambling adults are at-risk for developing a gambling disorder, or nearly 2 million Ohioans.