After the budget bill signed into law, lawmakers are looking for the next issue to tackle after the summer break. Among the topics that are more likely to be discussed is the future of Ohio sports betting.
The Ohio Senate made a late push for the legalization of sports betting before the June 30 deadline for the budget. However, House Speaker Bob Cupp stopped the bill because he wanted to conduct hearings on it.
According to pay per head software reports, the Senate spent several months on Senate Bill 176. The bill would allow betting on sports, along with other forms of gambling that include e-bingo. Also, it explored the possibility of online lottery games.
Ohio Sports Betting Bill
A group of professional sports teams in Ohio supported the legalization of sports wagering. They said that neighboring states already enjoy the benefits of having legal sports gambling. Also, the coalition said that it is a way to engage fans.
According to sports betting platform experts, the Senate sports betting plan would create three types of licenses. Type A will be for gambling via mobile devices, Type B will be for in-person, and Type C is for self-service kiosks.
HB29 allows 25 Type A category licenses, 40 Type B category licenses, and 20 Type C category licenses. Initially, SB176 allowed 33 Type B licenses.
Although lawmakers didn’t act on the comprehensive sports wagering bill, they legalized online bingo at charitable organizations and fraternal houses via the budget bill.
The House Speaker doesn’t want to rush the legalization of sports betting in the state. Instead, according to sports betting software sources, Cupp intends to set up a committee. His decision came even after the Senate spent more than three months tackling the sports betting bill at a committee level. Also, they made amendments to win more supporters of the bill.
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