Ohio has taken its first official step toward legalizing online casino gaming. This week, State Senator Niraj Antani introduced Senate Bill 312, aimed at allowing Ohio’s 11 casinos and racinos to offer online casino apps. While the bill marks a major milestone for iGaming in the state, its future remains uncertain, as lawmakers may not have time to address the issue this year.
Antani, who faces term limits and is nearing the end of his time in office, expressed that he’s eager to get the conversation started. Despite the challenging legislative landscape, he believes it’s time for Ohio to explore online casino gaming as an extension of its successful sports betting market.
I really do think this is a long way off from truly getting legalized in Ohio, but I think it’s time we start the process,” Antani said. “We’ve been talking about starting the process for over a year now. Someone has to kickstart it, and I think it’s time to go.
The Ohio legislature is scheduled to reconvene briefly after the November elections, but many lawmakers, including Senator Nathan Manning, doubt the bill will gain any traction during the lame-duck session.
“It’s a little late in this General Assembly. Certainly, I’m interested to take a look at the language. But I can’t imagine it would move this late in the session,” said Manning, who serves as co-chair of the Ohio Sports Gaming Study Committee.
Key Details of Ohio’s First Online Casino Bill
Antani’s bill provides a framework for regulating online casino gaming in Ohio, overseen by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The legislation allows licensed casinos and racinos in the state to apply for an internet casino gaming permit. Key aspects of Senate Bill 312 include:
- Each casino and racino can offer one online casino platform.
- A $300,000 initial fee is required for a casino permit, with an annual renewal cost of $250,000 at the discretion of the commission.
- Internet gaming operators can partner with casinos through an “associate permit,” which also carries a fee.
- Casinos will be taxed at 15% on revenue from online slots and table games.
- Affiliate marketing licenses are limited to five, with each license costing $25,000 for a three-year period. An additional $10,000 fee is required for the initial application.
- Casinos will be required to pay $250,000 annually to a problem gambling and addictions fund.
Antani explained that the legislation is deliberately designed to be simple, with room for future modifications. “We know this will go through several iterations. Our goal was to keep it straightforward, knowing that sports betting took three years to become law. This could take multiple general assemblies as well,” he said.
The proposed 15% tax rate aligns with what Ohio already levies on sports betting, further illustrating the parallels between the two gaming sectors. Antani’s goal is to offer Ohioans an additional entertainment option while keeping the process transparent and regulated.
Building Momentum for Future Discussions
Though Antani recognizes that his bill is unlikely to pass this year, he views the introduction of Senate Bill 312 as an important step in building momentum for iGaming in Ohio. Antani hopes the bill will prompt lawmakers to begin seriously considering the potential of online casino gaming, much like they did with sports betting several years ago.
This is about what I call socializing the concept,” Antani said. “Some legislators have never thought about iGaming before. They haven’t necessarily had a reason to think about it. So this will hopefully spark some thoughtful consideration.
The Ohio iGaming conversation has been a long time coming, and even though Antani’s time in office is coming to an end, he remains optimistic about the future of online casino gaming in the state. He compared his efforts to those of former Ohio lawmakers who introduced the first sports betting bills but weren’t around to see them passed.
“They didn’t have their names on the final bill, but I think they deserve significant credit for moving the ball down the field. That’s how I think it will work for this,” Antani noted.