COLUMBUS, Ohio — State lawmakers are expected to introduce a bill to legalize sports betting. Gov. Mike DeWine said it is inevitable the gaming will come to Ohio but there are a lot of questions as to how it will all be run.​

What You Need To Know

  • It's not a question of whether sports betting will happen in Ohio, but more so how it will be run

  • Over the last two months, lawmakers held nine hearings

  • Overall, Gov. DeWine has said, "sports gaming is certainly coming to Ohio"

The Ohio Senate Select Committee on Gaming held nine hearings over a two-month span between February and March. Dozens of people testified for and against the idea of sports betting as well as who might be in charge of it and how it could be taxed if it comes to Ohio.

"I would expect a bill ready to be introduced in the next few weeks, sometime in April. And from there, I would also expect that the bill to be referred to this committee," said Sen. Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) on March 31.

"It does seem like a slam dunk at this point," said Jeff Edelstein, a sports gaming analyst and writer for SportsHandle.com.

Edelstein has been following the hearings and covered other sports gambling laws being implemented in other states. He said Ohio has two big hurdles. First: Who gets to run it — the Ohio Lottery or Ohio Casino Control Commission?

"When you keep it in house with the lottery, theoretically, you could make a little bit more money. You also have to deal with all the regulation and everything that comes along with it. Most states have gone the casino route," Edelstein said.

Second: Who gets a piece of the pie? Ohio's professional teams have said they want a slice. Former Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson, who is now the president of Inter-University Council of Ohio, asked to not include college athletics in any bill.

Yet Edelstein believes people will still be able to wager on college teams.

"I'm guessing Ohio will allow it just because how big Ohio State is to the sports ecosystem," said Edelstein.

Other questions include how the state can make money and how much? That answer is unknown until the state determines who is in charge. Just next door, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia all make hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

And finally, when might Ohioans get to legally bet on sports?

Some lawmakers have said if the logistics are figured out prior to the budget deadline on June 30, then the action could start by the end of the year or beginning of next year.

Either way, DeWine appears eager to sign a sports betting bill.

On March 1, DeWine said, “Members of the general assembly are working that process and I will have the opportunity to see what they come up with and the opportunity to weigh in at the appropriate time, but sports gaming is certainly coming to Ohio.”