Ohio Online Casino Expansion Supported By Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Amy Acton

Could Ohio be the next state to legalize online casinos?

The potential for iGaming expansion in Ohio seems to be part of the upcoming Gubernatorial race in the state.

Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee, has expressed an interest in expanding online gambling in Ohio, with Ohio online casinos and an online lottery potentially in the mix.

Her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy has not committed for or against the idea of gambling expansion.

It looks to be a buzzworthy platform over the next two months in the Ohio Governor’s race.

Acton Seeking Tax Revenue Sources

Acton has based her candidacy on helping families in Ohio, and with that comes a drive to develop more tax revenue for the state.

She believes online gambling can aid in that, as Acton would like to use the added tax revenue that can come from online casinos, online poker, and an online lottery to put toward Ohio public schools, childcare, and property-tax relief for residents.

Ohio currently has legalized online sports betting, which generated over $200 million in tax revenue in 2025.

Neighboring Michigan features legalized online casinos. In 2025 alone, the state brought in just under $600 million in state tax revenue, with another $224.5 million to local jurisdictions. Overall Michigan online casino revenue brought in $3.09 billion in 2025.

Ohio has a slightly larger adult population than Michigan, so potential iGaming tax revenue should be larger than Michigan over time.

How Other Ohio Candidates View iGaming

Acton has come out in favor of online gambling expansion, but it definitely is far from a slam-dunk stance in the overall race.

Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has not taken a stance one way or another on the idea of gambling expansion in Ohio.

Outgoing Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, expressed his biggest regret as governor of Ohio was signing the legislation to legalize sports betting.

DeWine believes gambling expansion creates too much potential gambling harm to residents despite the added tax revenue.

It is unclear if Ramaswamy will take that approach toward online casinos, but his running mate, Rob McColley, actually support a 2025 iGaming expansion bill in the state that didn’t progress.

Libertarian candidate Don Kissick also believes Ohio should legalize online casinos, but his motivation is slightly different. Kissick believes the idea of prohibition toward online gambling only pushes residents to use illegal and unregulated means, which don’t benefit the state.

Kalshi Sees Acton Leading the Race

The latest data from Kalshi sees Acton pulling ahead of Ramaswamy in the Ohio Governor’s race.

The top prediction market lists Acton at 57% probability to win in November, while Ramaswamy comes in at 46%. Kissick is not registering a probability.

This has been a competitive race, with Ramaswamy leading as recently as late July, but Acton has seen a market surge on Kalshi in the last six weeks.

Plenty Oppose Online Gambling in Ohio

While tax revenue could greatly increase through online casino expansion in Ohio, many are pushing for the state to pull back on the online gambling the state already offers.

The Save Ohio Sports Act (HB971) was introduced to the Ohio House of Representatives in July looking to ban mobile and online sports betting, keeping the option limited to retail casinos.

The bill would also eliminate any kind of betting on college athletics, while also banning prop betting on any sports, as well as live betting and parlay betting.

Bettors would also be limited to $100 maximum wagers and only permitted eight wagers within a 24-hour period. The bill is awaiting a committee assignment.

Along with select legislators that are opposed, the four casinos and seven racinos that provide gambling in the state are against further gambling expansion for fear of cannibalizing their business.

Should iGaming expansion not be able to generate much steam following the election, legislators could look to expand their current 20% tax rate on sports betting revenue to increase tax funds for the state.