The Ohio General Assembly is weighing proposals to expand state-sponsored predatory gambling, including legalizing online casinos (“iGaming”) and installing Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) in bars and restaurants that function like slot machines.
House Bill 298 (HB298) and Senate Bill 197 (SB197) would allow gambling companies to operate online casinos on every phone, tablet, and computer in Ohio, with no restrictions on credit card use, increasing the risk for addiction and debt.
Gambling addiction has one of the highest suicide rates of any addiction. According to the Ohio Casino Control Commission, 80 percent of problem gamblers consider suicide, and 20 percent attempt it. Those most affected are often low-income individuals.
Online gambling especially targets young men. In New Jersey, a Rutgers study found that online gambling among men surged 400 percent after legalization, with nearly 1 in 5 at high risk for addiction. Nationally, gambling addiction rose nearly 33 percent between 2018 and 2021, largely driven by men ages 18–24.
In 2024, Ohioans lost $4.73 billion to gambling. Since 2012, that number totals $38 billion. Most of this money comes from Ohio’s poorest residents and goes to wealthy, out-of-state corporations, with no goods or services in return.
Every dollar spent gambling is a dollar not spent at a local business. Economist Earl Grinols found that over time, the social and economic costs of gambling outweigh the benefits 3 to 1.
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