Ohio Senators Introduce Sports Betting Bill

Jumping on the bandwagon that other states, such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia, have began to ride, state senators in Ohio have introduced a bill to legalize sports gaming within the Buckeye State. Whilst the wording within the bill is rather vague, senators felt it was important to get the bill out during the session in order to start the conversation about sports gaming.

SB 316 was intended to become vague. Actually, it’s only 1 sentence. There is no language within the bill that discusses how sports gambling would become legal, or when legalization may occur. The bill also doesn’t discuss how sports gaming could be taxed or how the state government ought to invest the money. The authors of the bill wanted the bill to be vague to ensure that the fine points from the bill could be hammered out during the hearing procedure. Additionally, it enables legislators to hear from workers and experts within the industry, particularly from these states that have currently gone forward with the legalization of sports gaming. Additionally, the Common Assembly also desires to hear from antigaming groups and companies which have an interest in whether or not the bill is passed.

Numerous senators have argued that a bill to legalize sports gaming could advantage the state. Initial, if a sports betting bill passed the General Assembly, taxes from legal gaming might be used to benefit the state. Second, it would permit the state to legalize a sportsbook industry that Ohioans currently use illegally, which indicates they would be in a position to exercise their hobby safely. Additionally, the senators do not want the state left behind with regards to sports gaming since it is apparent that neighboring states have already began down this road.

The senators and other elected officials clearly have their eyes fixed around the huge possible of gaming in Ohio. In Nevada, exactly where sports gaming has been legal for many years, almost $5 billion was wagered within the state on sports in 2017. Experts estimate that the cash spent on illegal gaming in the United states is anyplace from $50 billion to $380 billion on sportsbooks alone.

The rush toward sports gaming started when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government’s ban on sports betting violated the rights from the states to manage elements of their very own economies within their own borders. Because the choice, New Jersey and Delaware have opened sports gaming at casinos and racetracks. Eight other states have passed bills to permit sports gaming, but have not however acted on them. Thirteen other states have introduced bills to permit sports gaming.

What is regarding to Ohio in terms of tourist dollars and dollars that ought to be spent in the state is that the states that border Ohio are ahead of the game. Pennsylvania and West Virginia have passed sports gaming legislation, and are preparing to open sportsbooks either at casinos or at racetracks. Additionally, Pennsylvania also features a bill in place to permit online sports gaming, as well as online lotteries. 3 other states surrounding Ohio (Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky), have introduced legislation to legalize sports gaming, however they haven’t passed as yet.

It remains to be noticed how quickly Ohio will be in a position to pass its sports gaming bill. The state can be notoriously slow when it comes to bill passage. Nevertheless, when the state doesn’t act rapidly, it runs the danger of falling behind its neighbors.

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