A new online casino bill in Ohio is a longshot to make much progress, but it does include some interesting ideas about how to expand online gambling in the state.
State Sen. Niraj Antani filed SB 312 this week in advance of a lame-duck session for the state legislature at the end of the year. Antani is term-limited, so if the measure is not discussed during the session, it will lose its sponsor in 2025.
Proposed online casino tax rate is 15%
The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) would oversee online casino expansion. Licenses would be available to existing casino operators in the state.
The license includes an application fee of at least $100,000, a mandated licensing fee of at least $300,000 and a problem gambling fund fee of at least $250,000. Licenses would last for one year, so operators would be on the hook for at least half a million dollars each year to stay in operation.
The proposed tax rate for online table games and slots would be 15%, which is lower than the 20% currently levied on sports betting in the state. If it were to pass, it would be the only state where the tax rate for online casinos is lower than sports betting.
Bill would limit online casino affiliates to five companies
Another strange wrinkle of the proposed legislation is that it would limit the number of affiliates in the state to no more than five at a time. Sports betting affiliates are required to be licensed in the state, but there is no cap on how many can operate.
It is a long road for Ohio to actually pass an online casino bill, so the chances this does much besides start a conversation are slim.
Parties divided over Ohio gambling expansion
This past July, the Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio delivered its final report, totaling more than 350 pages. The report covered more than just online casinos and also weighed in on online lottery, horse racing reform, sports betting reform, charitable gaming and bingo.
With so many different facets and interested parties, there were no overarching recommendations from the group about how the state should proceed. The committee did not even publish a unified letter to Gov. Mike DeWine with their findings, instead authoring five different letters with their thoughts on the findings.
