A trio of leading Ohio House Republicans have penned a letter to the state recommending that it consider legalising online casinos and lotteries. The letter follows a study commission report released on Friday focusing on the future of gaming in the Buckeye State.
A Benefit to the State
The three representatives in question, Jay Edwards, Jeff LaRe and Cindy Abrams, have argued that legalising state iGaming and online casinos in the state would provide a net benefit to Ohio. The state already legalised sports betting in January 2023, and the results have been largely positive since.
The letter argues: “While the state should proceed with caution and care with any expansion of this magnitude, with the right regulatory framework, these types of gaming can thrive with nominal impact to our current system.”
The letter further described iGaming as having ‘tremendous potential’ for the state. It highlighted the success of iGaming in other states, pointing to their increased tax revenues and the increase in popularity of physical venues, from which the state would also benefit.
A Wider Discussion
The representatives penned the letter following a round of four meetings from the 11-member Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio. Other ideas were discussed during these meetings, including the legalisation of online poker and how licensing would work if they were to legalise iGaming.
There has been no official response from the state regarding any of these issues yet. However, the representatives remain optimistic, with the letter highlighting the potential to get legalised iGaming up and running in the state at some point in 2025.
The Study Commission has proven to hold some sway in the past, with the group said to be largely responsible for the legalisation of sports betting at the start of 2023.
