Sports betting in Ohio has been in limbo for months, since the Senate added its sports gambling bill to a House measure on veterans’ ID cards and the House rejected that change. The legislation is now in conference committee. Statehouse correspondent Jo Ingles reports on what’s being called the sticking point in those negotiations.
The bill would put sports gambling under the Casino Control Commission, allowing for one brick and mortar sports book in each of Ohio’s three big cities and 33 others around the state. Republican Sen. Pres. Matt Huffman (R-Lima) says he doesn’t want to give too much of an edge to out-of-state casino operators who have a constitutional monopoly
“That’s a huge advantage for those folks and I don’t think we should continue to extend these advantages to these out of state gambling interests. We ought to have an opportunity for the folks in Ohio.”
But there are still questions about whether gambling can be expanded this way or if it must be done through the Ohio Lottery Commission, which many House members have wanted.