Ohio’s HB476 Unanimously Passes The House
The House unanimously passed HB476, which authorizes online raffles in Ohio.
The bill allows only for charitable organizations to offer online raffles and creates some limited controls related to age and identity verification, as well as caps on prizes. The bill also prohibits online raffle platforms to resemble a slot machine in anyway.
The House has adjourned for the year, though they may return in December. However, it is not expected that this bill will advance in the Senate until next year.
iDEA’s lobbyist has been monitoring this bill and other gaming related items for us. We did not weigh-in at this time. We are looking to meet with Ohio lawmakers at NCLGS. Several of the key legislators we intended to invite to an iDEA organized dinner will be unable to participate given their involvement in bills that are being considered over the next 3 weeks. We are now looking to host something in the new year.