Ohio GOP Members Want Online Gaming Legalization

Three members of the Ohio House of Representatives have called on the state to legalize online casino gaming in the Buckeye State, as they see the activity as a net benefit to Ohioans.

The three members, which are members of the Republican party, penned the letter to the state as part of a commission report on the future of gambling within the state of Ohio. The authors were Jay Edwards, Jeff LaRe, and Cindy Abrams who said that the state should legalize online casino gaming as well as online lottery services.

The lawmakers claim that the legalization would bring significant tax revenues, better market participation, and that it could compliment the existing sportsbetting industry. There are currently seven states that have online casino gaming and thirty provide online sportsbetting services.

The letter said in part: "Looking at other states who have implemented either or both iLottery and igaming, we see significant increases to tax revenues generated with greater participation but also that in-person sales continued to increase.

"That can largely be attributed to more people participating in the market on their phones and becoming more comfortable/knowledgeable about doing it at a physical location."

It's possible that we'll be seeing legislation that would legalize and regulate the activity coming up, and we'll be updating readers as a bill is introduced.