COLUMBUS, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine made clear his feelings on internet gambling in Ohio, telling reporters, “I’m not for it.”
Currently, there are two proposals in the legislature to bring iGaming to Ohio, one in the House and the other in the Senate.
Both held hearings in May on the potential of expansion. Those in favor of iGaming said it will bring more than $600 million in new tax revenue to the state, which was essentially cut out of casino tax revenue in the 2009 voter-approved referendum that opened the door to legalized gambling.
DeWine has always warned about the dangers of mobile betting, but allowed it in 2023 when the state approved sports betting. Since its inception, nearly 98% of bets placed have been online.
Speaking to reporters at the Ohio State Fair, the governor sent a message to lawmakers, saying you might not want to bring this to my desk.
“I’m not for it,” he said. “Basically to put a casino in everybody’s hands, 24-7, I think is probably not a great idea and I think it will cause more pain and suffering in regards to addiction as far as gaming addiction so I’m just not for it.”
So does that mean he would veto an iGaming bill if it passed?
“Well I don’t usually use the 'V' word,” DeWine said. “But I’m very much against this so.”
Those in favor of iGaming argue that almost every state around Ohio already has it and it’s merely an extension of what we already offer.
“We already have table games, we already have slots and we already have online gambling. House Bill 298 would simply blend the two and allow virtual slot machines and virtual table games alongside online sports betting,” said Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, the House sponsor of the legislation during testimony in May.
Another area of disagreement centers on the impact on the state's brick-and-mortar casinos. Given the option, won't gamblers simply choose to play online, as they have with sports betting, where nearly 98% of bets are wagered online?
Ryan Soultz with Boyd Gaming, which operates 28 properties in 11 states, including both online and brick-and-mortar locations in Pennsylvania, told lawmakers in May no.
"I can tell you that if we thought this was a threat to our brick and mortar business, I wouldn't be here today to speak on this bill. In fact, we'd be opposing it," Soultz said.
But also testifying was Mark Stewart, head of the National Association Against IGaming, a group that lists Cleveland's JACK Entertainment among its members. They're opposed to legalized online gambling in part because of its negative impact on existing casinos. He's also an executive vice president with the Cordish Companies, which operates several casinos, including two in Pennsylvania, where they also hold an online gambling license.
"To build two casinos, we employ over 3,000 people, and we invested a billion dollars in Pennsylvania. We're supporting literally thousands of small businesses every day. On the iGaming side, we needed to hire one person and we invested $500,000," Stewart said.
DeWine was also asked Wednesday about his thoughts on a proposal to allow a limited number of VLTs in bars and restaurants in the state, that he didn’t outright dismiss.
“I will look at everything individually,” he said before adding, "I think we probably have enough gambling in the state already.”
