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State of Play’s TL;DR
- The Democratic and Libertarian nominees for Ohio governor support gambling expansion, while the Republican nominee has not said how she feels.
- The next governor could be tasked with deciding legislation on gambling in the next few years.
Ohio’s 2026 governor’s race is becoming a meaningful policy fight over online gambling. Democratic nominee Amy Acton and Libertarian nominee Don Kissick support expansion, while Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy has not publicly outlined a position.
That matters because Ohio already has a mature gambling market: four casinos, seven racinos, and legal sports betting since 2023. The next governor could face pressure either to widen legal online gambling or tighten consumer protections.
Candidates differ on guardrails
According to cleveland.com, Acton and Kissick both favor legalizing additional forms of online gambling in Ohio if elected.
Acton has tied that stance to state revenue, saying money from expanded gambling would go to public schools, childcare, and property-tax relief. She also said she would keep Ohio’s current 20% sports betting tax rate in place.
On safeguards, Acton supports limited restrictions on microprop bets but not a statewide ban on prop bets. She also backs “banning advertisements targeting individuals under 21 and those promising guaranteed wins.”
Kissick said he supports a “sensible legalization setup through licensed vendors rather than underground operations.” He does not favor changes to Ohio’s existing sports betting laws, but he has emphasized treatment options for gambling addiction and suggested adjusting how gambling tax revenue is allocated for treatment.
Ramaswamy remains mum
Cleveland.com reported that Ramaswamy has offered little indication of where he stands on gambling policy. That leaves one of the race’s biggest gaming questions unresolved, especially as Ohio lawmakers have already briefly explored real-money online casinos as a possible way to offset state income tax reductions.
The debate is unfolding alongside broader concerns about responsible gambling, consumer protection and gambling harm. Ohio’s online gambling policy received a 57/100, or D-minus, grade for consumer protections, according to cleveland.com.
Outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine has expressed regret over legalizing sports betting, warning it could “exploit poorer Ohioans and exacerbate gambling addiction, leading to financial devastation and mental health issues.”
What to watch for
For now, this is still a campaign issue rather than a live legalization bill. But the next governor could help determine whether Ohio moves toward broader online gaming, sticks with its current setup, or puts more emphasis on restrictions and treatment funding.
What remains unclear is which additional online gambling products Acton would pursue, whether Ramaswamy supports any sports betting or online casinos, and how much tax revenue Kissick would want redirected to addiction treatment.
Those details could become more important as the campaign continues.
Based on reporting by Jeremy Pelzer for cleveland.com.
