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State Sen. Bill DeMora is pushing back against proposals and bills that would introduce sweeping changes to Ohio’s sports betting laws. The proposals include the Save Ohio Sports Act, a two-bill package, and Senate Bill 199, a separate measure. The senator criticized the legislation on Tuesday during a meeting of the Senate Select Committee on Gaming, which was convened to review the Senate bill.
Inside the Save Ohio Sports Act
The Save Ohio Sports Act comprises a pair of bills introduced by three House Republicans. The legislation is designed to curb the popularity of sports betting by introducing several restrictions, including:
- Banning prop bets.
- Banning parlays.
- Restricting college sports wagering.
- Banning live (in-play) bets.
More notably, the second bill in the package proposes eliminating online sports betting. Residents would be required to visit brick-and-mortar casinos to place wagers. Furthermore, individuals would be restricted to eight bets per day, with a maximum wager limit of $100 per bet. Sportsbooks would also be barred from offering sign-up bonuses or running advertisements during live game broadcasts.
DeMora expressed strong opposition to the proposed changes, accusing the lawmakers behind them of failing to understand the industry.
“I’m morally opposed to what the bill introduced to the House is because that’s ludicrous,” DeMora said in Legal Sports Report news.
“No one’s going to bet if you don’t have prop bets and parlay betting. And I’m not sure those two sponsors of that bill actually know what those things are—I know our governor doesn’t know what they are, actually.”
Could Ohio’s betting tax rate effectively hit 40%?
In addition to the restrictions in the Save Ohio Sports Act, SB 199 proposes a 2% handle tax. Sen. Louis Blessing described the proposal as a “Pigouvian tax,” designed to raise revenue while discouraging undesirable behavior.
Blessing proposed that revenue from the 2% handle tax be used to construct and renovate professional sports stadiums. However, he noted his support for the tax regardless of the final allocation of funds.
Ohio currently maintains a 20% tax on sports betting revenue. In 2025, sportsbooks in the state paid more than $209 million in taxes. Based on the $10.24 billion wagered that year, the proposed 2% handle tax would have generated an additional $204 million for the state.
The proposed handle tax would effectively double Ohio’s sports betting tax burden. DeMora opposed the move, noting that the state already doubled the rate from 10% to the current 20% in 2023. He also pointed out that many other states operate with lower tax rates.
Blessing argued that a higher tax rate would benefit the state and cautioned that low rates could position Ohio as the “betting capital of America.” Lawmakers previously considered doubling the tax rate during reviews of Gov. Mike DeWine’s 2024–25 budget, but ultimately rejected the idea at that time.
