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Sports fans will soon be able to bet in Ohio
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Sports betting might be available by April 2022 in Ohio
Sports bettors in Ohio are keeping their fingers crossed for the latest bills to get sign-off in the House this year, which would mean that by April 2022 sports betting will be available to the Buckeyes.
Back in March 2021, Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine acknowledged that “Sports gaming is already in Ohio”, but that “Ohio is just not regulating it”. This was just the beginning of his remarks, as he spoke of the “inevitable” coming of legal sports betting in the state.
The latest bill passed the Senate and is likely to be approved, making sports betting finally legal.
Where can you bet on sports In Ohio?
Hopefully – anywhere within the state. Exactly where sports betting will be available will ultimately be decided by current sitting legislators and lawmakers.
Those in the Senate would prefer to see sportsbooks in the state’s casinos only, whereas members in the House would prefer to see sports betting kiosks distributed to over 1,000 retail establishments throughout the state. Other states have taken both routes, but most states settled on casinos handling the sports betting action.
Both sides agree to have mobile sports betting apps in Ohio. So if either side is able to get their way, you will technically be able to bet on sports anywhere in Ohio so long as you are within the state’s borders.
Online sports betting website in Ohio
Sports betting in Ohio is shaping up to become a robust market. Members of the House and Senate want to open the door to statewide mobile sportsbooks in Ohio in order to capture the most profits possible from the industry.
Lawmakers on both sides also want to see third-party online sports betting brands like DraftKings, PointsBet, and BetMGM, be able to come in and be a part of the marketplace.
With multiple brands competing for customers, sports bettors in Ohio can expect to see enticing odds from some of the best in the business. More to come on this in the next few months.
Bettors who are close to Indiana, have plenty of options such as DraftKings:
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Ohio sports betting FAQs
Can you bet on Buckeyes in Ohio?
Betting on the Ohio State Buckeyes and other in-state collegiate teams is still up in the air. Ohio State and all other in-state collegiate sports programs formally wrote a letter to the legislature urging them to ban betting on their teams in 2019. However, given how much money the state would gain by allowing residents to bet on their alma mater, it’s hard to see lawmakers adding a ban in their legislation.
Who will regulate sports betting in Ohio?
This is one of the biggest areas of contention for lawmakers. Members of the House want the state lottery to regulate sports betting in Ohio, while members of the Senate want the Ohio Casino Control Commission to be in charge. Both legislative chambers are still arguing about this.
When will sports betting in Ohio be legalized?
The current projection is that betting will be available by April 2022, should the House sign the latest betting bill on the table.
Ohio sports betting timeline
While it seems like Ohio is still at the early stages of expanding its gambling options to sports betting, getting to this point has been a long and heated process.
Our Ohio sports betting timeline below will show just how long it’s taken for this single bill to make it this far.
2019 – A sports betting bill is first introduced
The first motion to legalize sports betting in Ohio came in March of 2019 when Senate Bill 111 was first introduced. The bill is sponsored by Senator John Eklund.
Under the terms of this bill, the only land-based locations to offer sportsbooks in Ohio would be the state’s casinos. Those casinos could then partner with online sports betting companies for statewide mobile sportsbooks.
The tax rate for sports betting revenue would be set at 6.25%. But, the key sticking point is that the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) would be in charge of regulating the industry.
The very next month, Rep. Dave Greenspan introduced HB 194.
Under Greenspan’s bill, casinos would be able to host Ohio sportsbooks but so would veterans of fraternal organizations as well as various retail locations.
Sports betting would also be taxed at 10% and the Ohio Lottery would be in charge of regulating the state’s sports betting industry.
The only action taken in 2019 for SB 111 was that it was referred to the General Government and Agency Committee in October.
HB 194, however, underwent eight hearings from May all the way until November.
2020 – HB 194 is onto the House floor
No new Ohio sports betting bills were introduced in 2020, but the bills from 2019 were still in play due to how Ohio’s legislature works.
SB 111 has remained in place but HB 194 has continued to see action.
On May 27, 2020, HB 194 received its ninth hearing and was finally voted out of committee and onto the House floor. One day later, the House voted to pass the bill by a margin of 83-10.
2021 – Sports betting bill pending with the senate
With events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 Presidential Election delaying the bill’s progress, and Ohio’s neighbor state Pennsylvania showing a successful turnout from its newfound sports betting market, the question is no longer if, but when will The Buckeye State legalize sports gambling, and will 2021 be the year?
The bill is currently sitting in the Senate where lawmakers on that side may likely choose to add amendments to the bill before sending it off to Governor Dewine.
Only time will tell when and how they come to a conclusion.
June 2021 – Senate signs betting bill
Betting bill SB 176 was finally signed off in the Senate and was passed on to the House for signoff, paving the way for legalized sports betting to be offered by April 2022.
It took many months and months and changes before the votes passed by 30-2. The House is expected the pass the bill although experts are saying that new changes may be introduced, changes that will delay the process further. We’ll have to wait and see.