The bill could be a measure to help the state respond to budget shortfalls
Ohio could soon see a major shift in its gambling laws, with a new online gaming bill currently being drafted. Representative Brian Stewart, a Republican from Ashville and chair of the House Finance Committee, confirmed that he’s working on legislation that would expand legal gambling options in the state beyond sports betting. The proposed bill would allow residents to play online poker and other virtual casino games from their phones or computers at any time.
Stewart’s effort is aimed at generating new revenue for the state, and it arrives during a period of broader budget negotiations. While the House has already passed its version of the two-year budget—House Bill 96, also sponsored by Stewart—it excluded several tax increases that Governor Mike DeWine had originally proposed. Among those dropped were higher taxes on sports betting, marijuana, and cigarettes.
Although the idea of online gambling isn’t new in Ohio, momentum is building. A commission created in the 2023 budget studied the potential impact of iGaming and iLottery and issued its findings last summer. In that report, three Republican lawmakers highlighted the positive revenue effects seen in other states that have adopted these programs. They also pointed out that traditional lottery sales didn’t decline, and in some cases actually increased.
Even so, lawmakers remain cautious. They emphasized that any rollout of online gambling should not hurt the state’s current casino and racino operators. Ohio has four casinos and seven racinos, and there’s concern from those businesses about how iGaming could change customer habits.
The new bill is still in development, and details on how it would be implemented have not been finalized. However, the push signals that Ohio is seriously considering joining the growing list of states embracing broader online gambling options as a way to strengthen public funding.
