Bill legalizing sports betting passes in Ohio Senate

Sports betting in Ohio seems to be imminent.

With a vote of 30-2, Bill 176 passed in the Ohio Senate earlier this week. The bill will make gambling on sports legal in the state.

Under this bill, 58 gambling licenses are up for grabs; 33 of them are designated for physical brick-and-mortar stores, and 25 are for online betting sites. Even bars have the ability to apply. Each county will be allowed a certain amount of licenses based on population.

Since 2018, when the Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports gambling, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have each made the industry legal. That’s four neighboring states of Ohio that have added additional state revenue in the last few years.

Per the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, the state is expected to yield somewhere in the range of $17 million to $23 million starting next year, with 98% of it going to the Sports Gaming Profit Education Fund. Betting could begin as early as April 1st, 2022.

Thanks to this bill, Bengals fans could be betting on their favorite team in-state for next season.