Ohio’s Online Casino Push Loses Momentum Yet Again

The state is looking to push forward with online casinos, but legislative and social hurdles persist, deferring iGaming’s arrival in the state to an unknown dateImage Source: Shutterstock.com

Ohiois not going to see iGaming regulated any time soon, with the state having to settle for land-based casinos and online sports betting instead. Online casinos have proven to be too divisive a point.

Ohio’s Gambling Efforts for Online Casinos Still Falter

According to House Speaker Matt Huffman, the legislative session will wrap up without any major gains in online casino legislation. Lawmakers are simply not in mind of seeking immediate expansion of the current gambling framework, and it is not clear if they will be any time soon.

Another hurdle comes from Mike DeWine’soffice. The governor is not convinced that having gambling regulated online (at least in the case of casinos) would outweigh the potential bad that comes from that.

This was visible in the way House Bill 298and Senate Bill 197were handled. Both bills sought to introduce online gambling but were quick to bring in strong opposition from religious and health groups, who criticized the proposals as unethical and potentially dangerous. This, paired with DeWine’s own tacit opposition,

HB 298 and SB 197 have helped flesh out an important approach towards gambling regulation, with the draft laws citing licensing conditions and how a potential structure for an online casino would look.