COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A new bill at the Ohio Statehouse is proposing the legalization of “iGaming,” or online gambling.
“I think that this is the next progression of gaming in Ohio,” Senator Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) said.
Senate Bill 312 is sponsored by Antani and would require the Ohio Casino Control Commission to contract with licensed casinos to determine which games can legally be played online.
“I think you’re going to see poker, you’re going to see roulette, you’re going to see slot machines, things like that,” Antani said, “Blackjack, any sort of card, game table, game, you’ll see allowed. That’s the idea here.”
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While online gambling legalization has some bipartisan support , not everyone is on board. For example, David Corey, executive vice president of the Bowling Centers Association of Ohio, said he worries that this proposal cuts out brick-and-mortar business.
“It is definitely worrisome for our clients,” he said. “It’s hard to tell what the impact would be on the jobs front, but we know it can’t be good — taking people out of locations, keeping them in their homes on their phones.”