The newly formed Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio, led by Rep. Jay Edwards and Sen. Nathan Manning, evaluates the current and future effects of gaming throughout the state. The group comprises legislators and representatives from the Ohio Casino Control Commission, Ohio Lottery and Ohio State Racing Commission.
The group convened recently at the Ohio Statehouse to discuss the pros and cons of online casinos, the next logical stop for expansion since sports betting and land-based casinos and racinos are available in Ohio.
According to Edwards, the hearing isn’t an attempt to push online casino legislation forward but rather to provide fellow lawmakers a sense of what legal online casinos might look like in Ohio.
“It’s really more about talking about the current products, talking about what the future holds, and looking back to see if we’ve gotten anything wrong,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is start the conversation, get best practices, educate members and allow regulators some input on the process so that when we are ready, we can start to implement that.”
During the meeting, Matthew Schuler, the executive director of the Casino Control Commission, highlighted responsible gambling programs, profit expenditure and how gambling problems are measured and tracked to facilitate resolution. The discussion extended to monitoring people who engage in gambling across multiple platforms, with insights drawn from other states. Schuler underscored the reality of gambling addiction within the population, noting the heightened risk associated with sports betting.
The commission will meet twice in March and once in April.
