DeWine’s Ohio Sports Betting Tax Hike Finds Little Backing in Columbus

Big Tax, Bigger Stadiums

DeWine’s proposal, unveiled in early 2025, would jack up Ohio’s sports betting tax rate for the second time in two years, following a jump from 10% to 20% in 2023. The goal is to create a $130 million fund to bankroll sports facilities across the state.

The governor argues it’s only fair: Ohioans are pouring cash into sportsbooks, so why not tap those profits to build stadiums? One prime target is a new Cleveland Browns venue in Brook Park, where extra tax dollars could ease the franchise’s hunt for public funding.

It’s a bold vision, but the playbook’s hitting a wall. Ohio’s sports betting market, live since January 2023, raked in $936 million in wagers in January 2025 alone. A 40% tax could net the state serious cash, potentially $50 million more annually based on current trends. Yet, the louder the governor cheers, the harder his party boos.

Republican Roadblocks

DeWine’s fellow Republicans in the state legislature are throwing up a full-court press against the hike. Rep. Brian Stewart, who chairs the House Finance Committee, has all but ruled it out of the next budget.

He’s blunt about the GOP’s stance: tax hikes don’t sit well with the party’s rank and file. Stewart’s take is echoed across the caucus, where most Republicans see the proposal as a non-starter, clashing with their broader push to slash or flatten Ohio’s income tax.

Senate President Rob McColley piles on, warning that juicing the sports betting tax could derail those income tax goals. For a party laser-focused on cutting levies, not raising them, DeWine’s idea feels like a rogue play. The skepticism runs deep, enough to make lawmakers question whether the Browns’ stadium dreams are worth the political cost.

Slim Odds of Success

So, what are the chances this tax hike crosses the finish line? Not great. Ohio’s budget process gives the GOP-controlled House and Senate the final say, and they’ve got a track record of swatting down revenue grabs. In 2023, DeWine got his 10%-to-20% bump, but that was before sports betting’s full economic impact was clear and before GOP lawmakers dug in against further increases.

With Stewart steering the House budget and McColley holding the Senate reins, the proposal’s path looks more like a gauntlet.

Timing doesn’t help. The Browns’ stadium talks are heating up, but no deal’s locked in. Without a concrete win to rally behind, the tax hike lacks urgency.