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Ohio lawmakers are considering an internet gambling bill that could legalize online casino gaming while also steering promotional credits toward land-based properties instead of online play.
House Bill 298 remains in the Ohio House Finance Committee as of Sept. 21 and has not passed the House. No West Virginia-specific change was reported, but the proposal matters regionally because West Virginia is among the neighboring states already cited as having a regulated online casino market.
Proposal would link incentives to retail casinos
Rep. Brian Stewart has discussed a promotional structure that would bar operators from offering online promotional credits for iGaming. Instead, operators could offer credits redeemable at land-based casinos and racinos.
As Stewart put it during an iDevelopment and Economic Association panel, "We would say that you can’t offer online promotional credits. You can offer promotional credits, but they need to be credits for the land-based casino."
The approach would tie online casino incentives to physical gaming properties in Ohio. According to the bill discussion cited in the source, Ohio has 11 casinos and racinos that could qualify for iGaming licenses under that framework. Operators with an existing Ohio presence include Caesars, Hard Rock and PENN Entertainment.
Tax, licensing, and sweepstakes provisions remain in play
HB 298 would legalize and regulate internet gambling in Ohio and also prohibit online sweepstakes games. The bill proposes a 28% tax on internet gambling receipts and a $50 million fee for an initial internet gambling operator license.
The Legislative Service Commission estimates legal internet gambling could add hundreds of millions of dollars a year to Ohio’s General Revenue Fund. The fiscal analysis also says 1% of net internet gambling revenue would go to the Problem Gaming Fund. Stewart has cited estimates that a legal Ohio iGaming market could generate as much as $400 million annually for the state.
For West Virginia readers, the immediate takeaway is limited: this is an Ohio legislative proposal, not a policy change in West Virginia. Still, Ohio’s debate is worth watching because it shows how another nearby state may structure iGaming around existing retail casinos rather than online-only promotional models.
What to watch next
The main open questions are whether HB 298 will be amended to include the retail-focused promotional structure and whether it can advance out of the House Finance Committee. Until the bill moves, Ohio online casino gaming remains unauthorized, even though the state already allows regulated sports wagering.
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Source: As reported by news.worldcasinodirectory.com.
