- Democrat Amy Acton and Libertarian Don Kissick back online casino legalization; Republican Vivek Ramaswamy did not respond.
- Acton would direct new gambling tax revenue to public schools, childcare and property-tax relief.
- Ohio’s two iGaming bills have sat in committee since May 2025 without reaching a floor vote.
- House Bill 971 would go the other way and make Ohio the first state to repeal online sports betting.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Democrat Amy Acton and Libertarian Don Kissick, two of Ohio’s three nominees for governor, said they would support legalizing online casino games if elected, while Republican Vivek Ramaswamy did not answer questions about gambling from cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
What Each Nominee Said
Acton, the Democratic nominee and former director of the Ohio Department of Health, is “open to responsibly expanding iGaming to increase revenue in Ohio to fund our priorities,” a campaign spokesperson said. Acton would spend the proceeds on public schools, childcare and property-tax relief.
Her campaign said she supports banning micro bets, stops short of backing a full ban on player props and would not raise Ohio’s 20% tax on sports betting revenue.
Kissick, the Libertarian nominee, reached the same position from the opposite direction. “I am of the mindset prohibition does not work,” he said, arguing that licensing online casino play pulls Ohio residents away from offshore operators and lowers the risk of being defrauded. He does not support the added betting restrictions Acton wants.
Ramaswamy’s campaign did not answer. His running mate, Senate President Rob McColley, backed the Senate’s iGaming bill in 2025.
Ohio licenses no online casino, and the online gambling sites for USA players taking wagers from its residents today operate offshore.
A Governor Cannot Legalize It Alone
Neither legalization nor repeal turns on a governor’s signature. Legalizing online casino games takes a bill through both chambers first, and the Ohio Casino Control Commission would then have to write the licensing and game rules before a single hand is dealt. That commission is seven members appointed by the governor with the Senate’s consent, to four-year terms, which is the piece of the machinery a governor does control directly.
The other levers are the veto and the budget. Gov. Mike DeWine used the biennial budget to double Ohio’s sports betting tax to 20% in 2023, then proposed doubling it again to 40% in his 2025 budget. Lawmakers stripped the increase out before passage, and the budget that took effect July 1, 2025 left the rate at 20%.
Seven states license online casino play, and Ohio is not among them. Legal Ohio gambling sites cover sports betting, the lottery and in-person play at the state’s four casinos and seven racinos.
Both Tracks Expire Before The Winner Is Sworn In
House Bill 971, the Save Ohio Sports Act from Reps. Johnathan Newman and Beth Lear, would make Ohio the first state to repeal online sports betting. Introduced July 1 with eight cosponsors, it still has no committee assignment.
The expansion bills have moved no further. Senate Bill 197, from Sen. Nathan Manning, went to the Select Committee on Gaming on May 14, 2025 and has not been reported out. House Bill 298, from Reps. Brian Stewart and Marilyn John, went to the Finance Committee on May 21, 2025 and has not moved either.
All three run out of time on the same date. The 136th General Assembly ends at midnight Dec. 31, and bills that have not passed die with it, so HB 971, SB 197 and HB 298 would each have to be reintroduced in the 137th.
Ohio votes Nov. 3. The winner takes office on the second Monday of January, Jan. 11, 2027. DeWine, who is term-limited, remains governor through the lame-duck session in between, which means anything the legislature does pass this year reaches his desk rather than his successor’s.
What The Silence Covers
Ramaswamy’s unstated position applies to both bills, not one. A governor who would sign an iGaming bill and a governor who would sign a sports betting repeal are opposite outcomes for the same operators, and the Republican nominee has committed to neither.
McColley’s 2025 support for the Senate measure is the only signal attached to the ticket, and a lieutenant governor casts no vote on legislation.
The 137th General Assembly convenes in January 2027, and any online casino or repeal bill would start over from introduction.