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Doug Bonjour is a veteran sportswriter with more than a decade of experience, including in the realm of sports betting. He’s written for the New York Times, Associated Press, CBS Sports and Hearst Connecticut Media...Top Crypto Casino in Saudi Arabia – BitStarz Ranked #1
Read Full BioAn Ohio Republican state representative is working on a bill that would allow residents to play online casino games on their phones or other electronic devices.Top Crypto Casino in Saudi Arabia – BitStarz Ranked #1
Rep. Brian Stewart, chairman of the House Finance Committee, plans to introduce legislation to legalize iGaming and generate additional revenue for Ohio.
Stewart is also the sponsor of House Bill 96, the House’s version of the two-year state budget. Republicans approved it after they scoffed at Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposal to double the sports betting tax rate from 20% to 40%.
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The Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio issued a report last July, in which multiple lawmakers recommended legalizing online casinos.
“While the state should proceed with caution and care with any expansion of this magnitude, with the right regulatory framework, these types of gaming can thrive with normal impact to our current system,” Reps. Jay Edwards, Jeff LaRe, and Cindy Abrams wrote.
The report noted that other states with legal iGaming experienced significant increases in tax revenue, with the three House Republicans saying that it “could be a net benefit” to the state for areas including K-12 education.
Conversely, some opponents expressed concerns about its impact on existing land-based casinos.
“What seems to be emerging as fairly consistent is your brick-and-mortar properties are getting cannibalized by iGaming,” Daniel Reinhard, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Cleveland-based JACK Entertainment, said before the Commission.
He continued: “When you look at a dangerous product with a high prevalence of gambling addiction that’s going to eat into your existing brick-and-mortar base, you look at what it’s going to do. How is it going to benefit Ohio? Ohio’s potentially going to lose jobs.”
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Whereas legal online sports betting has expanded rapidly in the United States, online casinos are still legal in just seven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
Despite that, revenue from iGaming grew 28.7% year over year to $8.4 billion in 2024, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA).
Pennsylvania separated itself as the top market, generating $2.71 billion in annual revenue. Close behind were Michigan and New Jersey, which both eclipsed $2 billion.
New York, led by Sen. Joseph Addabbo, is also attempting to legalize online casinos. Bet on NY, a group backed by the Sports Betting Alliance, estimated that authorized iGaming could generate up to $1 billion in annual tax revenue for the state.
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Ohio has 15 active online sportsbooks, including bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel. In 2024, sports bettors wagered $8.88 billion, with approximately 98% of revenue generated from online platforms. Only three states—New York, Illinois, and New Jersey—reported a higher handle.
Ohio’s 20% sports betting tax has been in place since 2023, when DeWine increased it from 10%.
