Legislators in Ohio have been slow to come around to the understanding that eventually, every state with the exception of Utah and maybe Hawaii is going to legalize sports betting. In many states, that could also lead to online sports betting with an extension into online casino gambling. With that said, it looks like now is the time in Ohio.
After the Ohio House introduced an initial sports betting bill in early May, the reception of the bill was less than enthusiastic. That led the Senate to legislate its own bill, that being Bill S 176, which represents the direction the state will be heading as they work to bring sports betting to Ohio residents.
According to the bill, bookmakers would not be allowed to start taking bets until January of 2022. While missing the entire regular NFL season is a major blow, the prospect of the windows being open for the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl lessens the pain.
If a company wants to offer sports betting in Ohio, they had better already have a casino or racetrack already operational within the state's boundaries. That gives a company like Penn National Gaming (four Ohio casinos) a huge advantage. Presumably, top online bookmakers like BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel will also get access to Ohio sports bettors.
