Legal sports betting is likely to start in Ohio in 2022 after Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law that allows for brick-and-mortar and online sportsbooks in the Buckeye State.
DeWine signed House Bill 29 on Wednesday, according to a press release.
“This bill will permit sports wagering in Ohio, under the regulatory authority of the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Lottery,” the release noted.
The Ohio legislature gave its final approval to H.B. 29 on December 8, which sent the bill to DeWine’s desk for signing.
H.B. 29 legalizes sports betting in the state at physical and online sportsbooks. The wagering will start on a date to be decided by the executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission — albeit no later than Jan. 1, 2023. The bill includes a 10% tax on sports betting revenue as well.
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Ohioans could eventually be getting bets down at a variety of locations.
H.B. 29 sets out several different classes of licenses for operators looking to take wagers, including one type of license that allows for online sports betting, another for retail sports betting, and a third for wagering through gaming kiosks. The legislation also allows for up to 25 online sportsbook licenses at first, in addition to 40 brick-and-mortar licenses, and 20 kiosk licenses.
DeWine’s signature will put Ohio on the list of U.S. states that have legal sports betting, too. What’s more, it will add the seventh-most populous state in the U.S. to that roster, which is likely to attract the attention of major sportsbook operators.
Ohio lawmakers had been under a bit of pressure to take the plunge, as neighboring states such as Michigan have already legalized sports gambling. A number of Ohioans are likely wagering already via out-of-state, offshore, or illegal sportsbooks, meaning legalization could offer a way to capture some extra gambling revenue.
“Legalizing and taxing sports gaming will raise several tens of millions of dollars per year, once the program is fully operational and sports wagering markets mature,” a fiscal note from the Ohio Legislative Service Commission says.
