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Republican Senator Dave Greenspan does not want Ohio to fall behind when it comes to sports betting.
The Senator pointed out recently that neighbouring states were looking to capitalize on the lucrative sports betting industry and it was time for Ohio to also make steps towards legalization.
Greenspan has co-sponsored House Bill 133 along with Brigid Kelly, a Cincinnati Democrat legislator who have introduced their bill to the Ohio House.
This is not the first bill that Ohio legislators will have to review as they already have a Senate proposal (Senate Bill 111) to consider regarding sports betting legalization.
The two bills have a lot of similarities except for who should oversee the sports betting market in the state. The Senate proposal calls for the Ohio Casino Control Commission to be the regulator while the Greenspan bill calls for the Ohio Lottery Commission to serve as the regular.
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Greenspan’s bill calls for sports betting to be legalized and for Ohio’s casinos and racinos to offer legalized sports betting. The bill also calls for online sports bets to be accepted. The bill also calls for sports betting to be accepted on collegiate sports including ones played by college teams in Ohio. Most of the revenue generated from sports betting taxes would go towards improving and supporting education in the state.
One interesting factor that the bill highlights is that sports leagues across the country would be given wagering data from Ohio’s gambling regulator without any charge. This would be done in order for the leagues to carefully monitor their games and ensure that the integrity of their games is not compromised.
Bill Could Take Up To 6 Months For Approval
Sports bettors in Ohio will not be paying a lot of attention as to whether the Senate proposal or Greenspan’s bill gets final approval. Bettors are eager to get in on the action and place bets on their favourite games and sports betting leagues.
However, it is important for Ohio state legislators to work out their differences and come to a mutual agreement in order to get sports betting legalized without any further delays. Greenspan estimates that once the Governor signs the bill, it could take close to 6 months to get everything in order and launch sports betting services. However, there is no estimate as to how long it would take the Governor to sign and approve the bill.
