Senate committee hears sponsor testimony on bill to legalize and regulate online gambling in Ohio

The Ohio Senate Select Committee on Gaming held a first hearing on Senate Bill 197 during which sponsor Senator Manning outlined a plan to legalize and regulate internet gambling, expand iLottery and online horse racing, and consolidate gambling oversight under the Casino Control Commission.

Senator Manning, sponsor of Senate Bill 197, told the committee that "online gambling is already here in Ohio" and said the Legislature should legalize and regulate that market "just like sports betting," adding that legal markets bring consumer protections and revenue for state priorities. He described a tiered fee and tax framework that would set lower fees for operators with physical facilities and higher fees for operators without a physical presence; he provided example figures in committee testimony (a $50,000,000 initial fee and $5,000,000 renewal for operators with facilities; a $100,000,000 initial fee and $10,000,000 renewal for out-of-state operators) and said tax rates would differ by operator type.

Manning said the bill would allocate iLottery proceeds the same way the lottery currently does, and would deposit internet-gambling revenue to the state general revenue fund. He said the bill would…