Ohio Sports Betting Bill Passes Legislature, Awaits Governor’s Signature

• Ohio is set to be the newest state with a legal sports betting industry after the state legislature passed HB 29, a sports betting bill, on Wednesday.
• The bill, which calls for at least 40 land-based sportsbook licenses and 25 mobile sportsbook licenses, currently awaits Governor Mark DeWine’s signature.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - After years of debate and controversy, Ohio will be the next state to offer a regulated and legal sports betting industry with HB 29’s passage through the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday. The bill now awaits Governor Mark DeWine’s approval, which is expected to happen within the coming days.

According to the bill, the Ohio legal sports betting industry must launch by January 1, 2023. It places the Ohio Casino Control Commission in charge of licensing and regulatory tasks.

Any person over the age of 21 will be able to wager on a wide variety of sporting events, including collegiate and international contests. Sports betting in Ohio will be taxed at 10% of all revenue.

The bill also outlines how licenses will be distributed for the newly-regulated industry.

HB 29 stipulates that 40 brick-and-mortar sportsbook licenses will be issued. These will be granted to suitable venues such as casinos, racinos, and professional sports stadiums.

On top of the land-based sportsbooks, the legislation states that at least 25 mobile sportsbook licenses will be issued. Each of these mobile licensees will be permitted to apply for an additional license for a second skin, though the issuance of the additional license is not guaranteed. The bill also outlines that additional mobile sportsbook licenses can be issued if the applicants can prove a positive economic impact. Operators will be permitted to acquire both a land-based and mobile license, though they will have to go through separate licensing procedures for both.

Licensing will also be available for gambling kiosks (as per a recommendation from the Ohio Lottery Commission), which could be placed at venues with valid liquor licenses such as bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and convenience stores.

State lawmakers are not in any rush to get the industry off the ground, however; their efforts will be focused on creating an industry without the issues inherent to some other states’ sports betting industries.

“We want to do it right. We want to make sure we have the right regulatory guardrails. We want to make sure there’s enough applicants out there who can take advantage of this new economic opportunity in the state of Ohio,” Senator Kirk Schuring, chairman of the Ohio Senate’s Select Committee on Gaming, told NBC-4.