Ohio Senator: sports betting bill to appear on both chambers this week; market could launch in 2022

Sports betting could be launching in Ohio no later than January 1, 2023. According to Ohio Sen. Kirk Schuring, an agreement on the much-expected sports wagering bill has been reached, which could be approved by a conference committee soon and appear on the Ohio House and Senate floors this week.

“We have an agreement on sports gaming. I expect the conference committee to meet this week and for the conference report to be approved,” Schuring said. “It will then go to the house and senate floors this week. Everything is staged up.” 

Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz’s office confirmed the news via a representative, stating that the “conceptual framework” of the bill has been agreed upon and that the program would go live no later than 2023, reports Saturday Tradition.

Seitz previously said an agreement had been reached earlier this month, claiming it would make sure every player in the gaming industry would have their "piece of the pie." “It was always my objective to do what we could to encourage greater competition among the actual sportsbooks,” Seitz said, while also stating lawmakers were not going to allow some parties “get to market quicker than other people” as it would be unfair.

Should bill HB 29 be approved by both bodies and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine, it would then have to wait 90 days before it could go into effect. So far, neither Schuring nor Seitz have offered specifics on the legislation, although negotiations have been reported as “difficult.”

“They’re just naturally competitive with each other and they want a piece of this new market. That’s what really has been holding everything up,” Schuring said of the parties which want to enter the upcoming sports betting market.

Bill HB 29 describes three types of sports betting licenses. Type A licenses include state entities with the ability to bank a bet, such as the state’s 11 casinos and racinos, and will include online sports betting licenses.

Meanwhile, Type B licenses will be for future brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, while Type C licenses allow for sports betting kiosks to be installed in retail establishments with D-class liquor licenses. It allows for a total of 65 licenses: 25 online and 40 retail.

One of the factors that have been holding up sports betting legislation in the state has been a debate over whether the state’s Casino Control Commission or the Ohio Lottery Commission should oversee the activity. Bills attempting to give said authority to one body or the other have both been presented in the state House and Senate.

Last week, Cincinnati mayor and governor candidate John Cranley called on Ohio lawmakers to establish sports betting under the Lottery Commission’s oversight. He argued this approach would make more funding available for public schools and avoid a potential court battle, as the Casino Control Commission being granted this power could be unconstitutional.