Senate Select Committee on Gaming hears divergent testimony on SB197 iGaming expansion

The Senate Select Committee on Gaming convened for a third hearing on Senate Bill 197, legislation that would legalize and tax internet casino gaming and expand other digital gambling options in Ohio. Witnesses for and against the bill gave competing forecasts about state revenue, jobs and public harm and proposed several changes — including retail video lottery terminals for bars, bowling centers and grocery stores and higher problem‑gambling funding.

Why it matters: SB197 would change where and how Ohioans can place bets, shift billions in wagering from informal or illegal markets into regulated platforms, and could affect casino employment, local retail traffic and public health programs. Committee members heard technical fiscal estimates and moral, medical and legal objections that the committee must weigh as it prepares further sessions.

Proponents and industry witnesses told the committee legal iGaming would capture unregulated play, produce new state revenue and create a modern regulatory framework. Brent Iden, representing Fanatics Betting and Gaming, said, "thousands of folks in Ohio are playing casino games right now across the across your state without any regulations," and urged the panel to set licensing terms that allow smaller operators to compete. Donovan O'Neil of Americans for Prosperity Ohio urged using gaming revenue to reduce taxes, noting projected license fees and tax rates in the bill and suggesting the new receipts be used for property‑ or income‑tax relief rather than expanding permanent state programs.

An independent industry analysis presented to the committee produced the largest numeric contrasts of the hearing.…