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Bengals, Browns, Blue Jackets Join Others In Calling For Legal Sports Betting

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio’s professional sports teams are calling on legislators to break the log jam in the debate over legalizing sports betting before they go on summer break.

This Aug. 1 2018 photo shows a board at Harrah's casino in Atlantic City, N.J., listing the odds on pro football games in the first week of the NFL season. Resorts casino will begin taking sports bets in person on Wednesday, Aug. 15, becoming the fifth Atlantic City casino to do so.
This Aug. 1 2018 photo shows a board at Harrah’s casino in Atlantic City, N.J., listing the odds on pro football games in the first week of the NFL season. [AP Photo | Wayne Parry]
Ohio lawmakers are locked in a stalemate over plans to legalize sports betting. The holdup is over which agency should be in charge of regulating the industry.

The Ohio Professional Sports Coalition said the state is leaving millions of dollars on the table the longer it takes to legalize sports betting.

Curt Steiner, Ohio Professional Sports Coalition spokesman, said other states have done it, so there’s already a playbook.

“Ohio has the opportunity to get it right and the way to get it right is to allow the sports teams to have fair market access, to have healthy competition, to limit the number of licenses, and to give fans the opportunities to engage with their favorite teams.”

The pro sports teams want the Ohio Casino Control Commission to control sports gaming at the state’s four casinos and seven racinos.

But other groups have said the Ohio Lottery Commission should, to allow for gaming at lottery terminals across the state.

Lawmakers said they are working on crafting a bill. However, legislation has yet to be introduced this year.