Ohio voters choosing their next governor in November will also influence whether casino gambling moves beyond physical venues and onto phones and computers across the state.
Democratic nominee Amy Acton and Libertarian nominee Don Kissick have said they are open to legalizing additional forms of online gambling. Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, however, has not publicly explained his position. His campaign did not respond to gambling-policy questions submitted by two news sources, leaving voters without a clear picture of how he would handle the issue as governor.
Acton has described gambling expansion as a potential source of money for public schools, childcare and property-tax relief. She supports retaining Ohio’s 20% sports-betting tax while adding safeguards, including restrictions on advertisements aimed at people under 21 and promotions that imply a guaranteed win. She has also expressed support for limiting certain microbets or wagers placed on individual moments within a game, without calling for a complete prohibition on proposition betting.
Kissick approaches the matter from a personal-freedom standpoint. He argues that banning online gambling pushes residents toward offshore operators. His preference is a licensed market in which adults can make their own decisions. Although he has not called for major changes to current sports-betting laws, he has said Ohio should examine how gambling revenue supports addiction treatment.
Ramaswamy’s silence is especially notable because he has proposed eliminating Ohio’s income tax. Some Republican lawmakers have previously discussed gambling expansion as one possible source of replacement revenue. Yet, Ramaswamy has not said whether online casinos would have a place in his financial plan.
Local Ohio Casinos
Ohio is hardly new to gambling. The state has four commercial casinos, seven racinos and a legal sports-betting market that began operating in 2023. Those businesses generated a combined record of roughly $3.5 billion in gaming revenue last year, according to the American Gaming Association.
For Northeast Ohio, the debate is more immediate than the figures might suggest. JACK Cleveland Casino and JACK Thistledown Racino employ local workers, attract visitors and contribute tax revenue. If Ohio authorizes mobile gambling apps to include casinos, residents could gain access to slots, blackjack, roulette and other games without traveling to either property.
Online casinos could give existing properties a new revenue channel if licenses are tied to Ohio’s casinos and racinos. On the other hand, unrestricted mobile access might reduce in-person visits and affect jobs, restaurants and entertainment spending connected to physical venues. Any future law would need to determine who receives licenses, how many sites may operate and whether established Ohio properties get priority.
The next governor would not be able to legalize online casinos alone. Legislation would still have to move through the Ohio General Assembly. The governor could nevertheless set the political direction, negotiate regulations and either sign or veto a final bill.
Consumer safeguards are likely to be central to that discussion. Ohio’s existing online-gambling framework received a score of 57 out of 100—a D-minus—in a national evaluation cited by several reports. Gov. Mike DeWine has also expressed regret over the arrival of legal sports betting, warning about addiction and financial harm.
Offshore Casino Games
The state of Ohio does not currently license real-money online casino games for players over 18. That means an app or website offering conventional online slots, roulette, or blackjack to an Ohio resident is not operating as an Ohio-regulated casino.
Some residents nevertheless use offshore casino sites. These sites may offer familiar games, live dealers, large bonuses or cryptocurrency payments, but they sit outside the oversight of the Ohio Casino Control Commission. If an offshore operator delays a withdrawal, closes an account or disputes a jackpot, an Ohio customer may have little practical recourse.
That distinction often disappears in coverage of legalization. The choice facing state leaders is not simply whether online casino games will exist. Offshore sites are already accessible on the internet. The real policy question is whether Ohio should create a licensed alternative with identity checks, age verification, game testing, deposit controls, self-exclusion tools and enforceable rules for paying customers.
Supporters believe regulation would move players toward monitored gambling sites while capturing tax revenue that currently leaves the state. Critics counter that putting legal casino games on every smartphone could introduce gambling to far more people and make compulsive play harder to escape.
Currently, all the offshore gambling sites available to Ohio players are covered in our OnlineGambling21.com guide.