Online Casino Legalization Considered In OhioPlan Could Include Online Poker |
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Could online casino gaming and poker be coming to Ohio? Some lawmakers in the state are considering just that after a small panel of legislators met last week to study the issue.
Online lottery sales were also included in the discussion as well, and some consider adding online gaming as just another option for players which can also bring in considerable revenue for the state.
“While we understand their hesitation to expand due to an uncertain impact, we believe that iLottery and iGaming could be a net benefit to the state of Ohio,” Republican state House Finance Chairman Jay Edwards and Reps. Jeff LaRe and Cindy Abrams noted in a joint statement. “Looking at other states who have implemented either or both iLottery and iGaming, we see significant increases to tax revenues generated with greater participation but also that in-person sales continued to increase.”
“That can largely be contributed to more people participating in the market on their phones and becoming more comfortable/knowledgeable about doing it at a physical location.”
Details On The Plan
The panel meeting comes after language was included in the state’s latest budget to consider the issue. In February, a representative for BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel told lawmakers that online gaming could produce between $205 million and $410 million annually in new tax revenue for the state.
Those figures are based on a tax rate of 10-20%. Seven states now offer some form of online casino gaming including Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Numerous others, including Ohio, allow for online sports betting.
While some legislators have expressed support for legalization, others aren’t interested in adding more gaming or are looking for a compromise to begin only with online lottery sales. State Sen. Bill DeMora (D) opposes the plan as he believes online gaming could hurt the state’s casino industry.
“We cannot risk the position of these critical institutions by making them irrelevant, with Ohioans who want to gamble turning to their phones instead of supporting brick-and-mortar stores,” he said.
As a state with almost 12 million people, Ohio could be a significant addition to the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) , which currently includes Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, Delaware, and West Virginia. WSOP.com now operates a shared liquidity platform in Nevada, Michigan, and New Jersey. PokerStars also operates a shared platform between Michigan and New Jersey.
Several states have considered adding online gaming and poker over the last year, but most of those efforts failed or were delayed. New York legislators may still be looking at the issue.
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