Hailing as the top-tier decision-making channel, the Ohio Select Committee held a short and crisp meeting to inform the gambling sphere about the significant changes introduced by them in the forthcoming Sports Betting Bill proposed by the state.
The alterations were focused on critical factors of the casino industry and have been included to bring a seamless gaming ecosystem for the operators and the players. The committee will meet again at 10 AM on Wednesday to hear the response of interested teams. The committee chief, Sen. Kirk Schuring, stated that the legislators could submit their proposals for amendments by 4 PM on Friday, while the hearing will take place at a time to be decided next Tuesday by the committee.
The key highlights were:
- The casino operators will be entitled to pay $500,000 for getting Type A and B licenses during their 2nd and 3rd working years. The initial fee in Ohio for the gambling operators is $1 million, and so as per the earlier statute, the operators would have to pay $1 million/year for the first three years. However, changes have been introduced in this regard.
- Esports betting will be a part of the bill, and fans will be able to enjoy easy wagering on them.
- The events having players below the age of 18 shall be prohibited by the new guidelines.
- Horse racing shall be functional on sports wagering portals and at sportsbook venues.
- A licensee shall be allowed to access one mobile license for one year and then apply every year for the same. Earlier, there was no such restriction.
The bill is likely to get a green signal in the voting process. The committee members have set a deadline of June 30 for getting the bill passed and presented to Gov. Mike DeWine. For the second time, the legislators are striving to seek approval for a sports betting bill. There was confusion regarding the delegation of power between the Ohio Lottery Commission or the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The new statute will give the real controlling power to the Casino Control Commission.
