Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Says Sports Betting Legalization Very Likely

Ohio’s Gov. Mike DeWine has said that the state is likely to consider and pass a sports betting legislation in 2021.

State Governor Hopes for Legalized Sports Betting in Ohio

Ohio’s thriving sports community doesn’t enjoy the added benefit of a legalized sports betting industry, which could potentially come with numerous perks for the state, starting with higher gross domestic product and more support for local support. According to Gov. Mike DeWine, the legalization of a sports betting industry is very likely in 2021.

Ohio is a sports betting nomad, with the only neighbor to show as much hesitation to legalizing its industry being Kentucky. Yet, even Kentucky is now considering revamping its sports gambling framework and launching a more advanced ecosystem for sports fans to enjoy.

Meanwhile, Ohio has already made attempts to legalize sports betting last year, with several bills outlining the groundwork for introducing sports betting at the state’s four casinos and seven racinos. None has come to fruition, however, hampered by discord between lawmakers on the matter of regulation and licensing specifics.

Ohio’s sports fans have been mostly driving into Pennsylvania, which has had legal sports betting since 2018, and mobile sports betting since 2019. Thanks to the mobile sports betting industry supported in the Keystone State, Ohio residents only need to cross the state border to verify they are in Pennsylvania and then place a bet remotely, without necessarily driving to a casino.

The Governor’s Support Matters

Yet, Gov. DeWine may want to change that as he confirmed earlier this week that his office would be interested in the opportunity of making it possible for Ohio residents to bet legally within their own state. Speaking to News5 Cleveland, a local media outlet, he had this to say:

“We have people who are betting all the time in Ohio online and they’re going to do this and so allowing us to keep some of this money for education in the state seems to me to make sense.”

Even though Ohio didn’t make much progress on proposed legislation last year, this should change in 2021, says Gov. DeWine who is hopeful that state legislators would put aside their differences and push for a regulated wagering industry this year. Casinos have been doing well in the post-Covid-19 depression, but they can get a further boost from a fully-operational sports betting industry, too.

“There will be a sports betting industry in Ohio,” says Gov. DeWine, with Ohio sports fans certainly excited at the prospect.