Ohio senator renews push to tax prediction markets, ban election bets
DeMora blames hundreds of millions in lost tax revenue on unlicensed prediction platforms, by his own estimate.
The hit
Ohio Democratic Sen. Bill DeMora is reviving two stalled bills to bring sports prediction markets under state gambling law & ban betting on elections. The push follows a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit that backed Ohio’s authority to enforce its gambling laws against platforms including Kalshi, according to Yogonet.
Why it matters
If passed, prediction market operators would need licences from the Ohio Casino Control Commission & face the same age restrictions, responsible gambling protections & enforcement measures as sportsbooks. DeMora says operators should also be taxed like sportsbooks. A separate bill would extend Ohio’s existing ban on election betting, which already applies to licensed sportsbooks, to prediction market platforms too. Neither bill has had a Senate floor vote.
The record
| Senate Bill 430 introduced | 27 April, sole sponsor DeMora |
|---|---|
| Senate Bill 479 introduced | 13 October, co-sponsored by Sens. Antonio, Blackshear & Weinstein |
| Sixth Circuit ruling against Kalshi | 25 September, upheld Ohio injunction denial, overturned Tennessee injunction |
| Ohio cease-&-desist letters | 2 October, sent to 10 operators & brokers incl. Polymarket, Robinhood, Coinbase (OCCC) |
| Robinhood sports contracts wind-down | agreed to stop offering new sports event contracts by 2 November, enforcement suspended pending appeal, per 28 October securities filing |
| Estimated Ohio tax revenue lost | hundreds of millions over prior two-year budget cycle (DeMora estimate) |
What happens next
The Sixth Circuit ordered Ohio & Tennessee to respond to Kalshi’s rehearing petition by 12 November. DeMora told SBC Americas on 3 November that he’ll reintroduce the bills in 2027 if they stall again this session.
Sources: Ohio senator renews push to regulate prediction markets, ban election betting
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