Legislation

Novelties on latest Ohio online casino bill filed September 4

Monday 16 de September 2024 / 12:00

⏱ 1 min read

(Ohio).- It wasn't all that long ago that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine pushed through a doubling of the sports betting tax rate in his state. Yet one Ohio Republican has filed a legal online casino bill that calls for a tax rate that is lower than sports betting.

Novelties on latest Ohio online casino bill filed September 4

It seems highly unlikely that the online gambling bill, SB 312, will gain any traction in the state. Filed 4 September, the bill has not been assigned to a committee, and it does not have any co-sponsors. Beyond that, DeWine remains anti-gambling, and his current term runs until 11 January 2027.

Three Ohio Republicans in July said they support legal online gambling, but bill sponsor Senator Niraj Antani wasn’t among them. Representatives Jay Edwards, Jeff LaRe and Cindy Abrams advocated for online casino and a digital lottery, with the caveat that the state should "proceed with caution.”

Their comments were included in a comprehensive report from a legislative study committee on the subject. The report weighed the pros and cons of a gambling expansion, but did not offer a definitive recommendation. Antani was not on the study committee. Antani represents District 6, which includes Dayton, and partially borders Pennsylvania. There are no brick-and-mortar casinos in the district.

Why now?

The timing of the bill seems odd — Antani announced in November 2023 that he will not seek reelection. That means the bill must be approved by the end of the year, as its sponsor won’t return in 2025. In addition, the Dayton Daily News in May wrote that Antani hadn’t been showing up to vote.

It’s also an election year. For most politicians that means voting only on necessary issues, and usually not on controversial ones.

Categoría:Legislation

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País: United States

Región: North America