Included in the report of the Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio that was released last week was a letter from the three Republican House members on the committee outlining their thoughts.

One subject tackled by the GOP lawmakers was the possible legalization of iGaming and iLottery in Ohio, which they noted had generated "a lot of discussion" during the commission's work.

Some of that talk came from the operators of brick-and-mortar casinos and lottery outlets who were worried about the effect it could have on their revenue should Ohioans have the opportunity to gamble more online rather than in person.

“While we understand their hesitation to expand due to an uncertain impact, we believe that iLottery and iGaming could be a net benefit to the state of Ohio,” wrote Representatives Jay Edwards, Jeff LaRe, and Cindy Abrams. “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 contributed [sic] to more people participating in the market on their phones and becoming more comfortable/knowledgeable about doing it at a physical location.”

The three reps pointed to jurisdictions such as Connecticut, which they said enjoyed 44.7% growth in its overall gaming market in 2023, the second year of iGaming in the New England state.

“These tax revenue benefits to the state and funding that could be provided to our K-12 education system cannot be overlooked,” they added.

Still, the Republican House members noted that future legislative sittings would have to ensure any expansion of gaming is done safely, protecting user data, and without harm to brick-and-mortar operators.

“While the state should proceed with caution and care with any expansion of this magnitude, with the right regulatory framework, these types of gaming can thrive with nominal impact to our current system,” the lawmakers wrote. 

Much to think about

The comments are just a small part of the 350-page report, which was required to be done as part of a budget bill passed last year by the Ohio legislature. 

House Bill 33 gave the study commission until June 30 to submit its report to the legislature. Four meetings were held by the commission earlier this year, and the bulk of its report is the testimony collected from the industry and other interested parties. 

While lawmakers are under no obligation to heed its recommendations, the commission was formed after a major shift to the gaming landscape in the Buckeye State, which was the legalization and launch of Ohio sports betting in early 2023.

There have been additional legislative and regulatory tweaks since then, including a doubling of the state's tax rate to 20% and a ban on college player prop betting due to concerns about student-athlete harassment by gamblers.