Legislators in Ohio and Wyoming are both considering the merits of online casino gambling in their respective states, with the latter commissioning a study by Spectrum Gaming Corp. to execute a comprehensive gaming analysis that could include the possibility of iGaming.
Ohio Considering iGaming Expansion
Sports betting has proven to be big business in the Buckeye State; thus, it is not surprising they have turned their collective attention to online casino betting. Representatives Jay Edwards, Jeff LaRe and Cindy Abrams have all joined a growing number of Ohio lawmakers who are becoming increasingly comfortable with the idea of iGaming.
“While the state should proceed with caution and care with any expansion of this magnitude, with the right regulatory framework, these types of gaming can thrive with a nominal impact on our current system,” the trio wrote.
Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) is among the chorus of legislators who believe it can be a good idea if handled correctly. “The reality is that many other states are moving in this direction and Ohioans are already using the illicit market,” Sweeney wrote in her own letter. “The General Assembly should give serious consideration to iGaming and iLottery with extensive vetting.”
Casinos Fear Digital Takeover
Of course, there is skepticism and trepidation from the brick-and-mortar casinos concerned that the virtual casino industry will cannibalize its business despite some studies showing results to the contrary.
Dan Reinhard, an industry lobbyist of JACK Entertainment in Cleveland, stated, “What seems to be emerging as fairly consistent is your brick-and-mortar properties are getting cannibalized by iGaming,” Reinhard said in an interview earlier this year. “When you look at a dangerous product with a high prevalence of gambling addiction that’s going to eat into your existing brick-and-mortar base, you look at what it’s going to do. How is it going to benefit Ohio? Ohio’s potentially going to lose jobs.”
Wyoming Studying iGaming Too
Wyoming’s online sports betting industry launched on September 1, 2021, and the market currently consists of five mobile sports betting operators, including BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel. It should also be noted that Penn Entertainment’s ESPN Bet has received approval for a license, and its launch is expected in the coming months.
The Wyoming gaming landscape also includes parimutuel horse racing, among others, and a comprehensive analysis of the state’s gaming industry is currently being effectuated by Spectrum Gaming Group, a global gambling consulting firm, whose Wyoming study began in September and will continue through the end of October with an initial report due in early November.
In addition to transparency, fairness, security, integrity, and compliance, the study will also “consider the number and growth of wagering locations and activity, the Commission’s oversight capacity, the transparency and efficiency of the Commission monitoring and reporting on licensees and horse track safety.”
Online Casino Potential
However, one facet of the study that could have the greatest impact is the feasibility of establishing online casino gambling. As of this writing, only seven states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia, offer online casino wagering.
Statistics prove that iGaming is a far more lucrative revenue stream than mobile sports betting and allows those within a state’s boundaries to play table games like blackjack as well as virtual slot machines on their PC or mobile devices. Wyoming legislators are eager to explore whether or not this would make sense in the nation’s least populated state of only 583,000 residents.
