The move has raised many eyebrows, primarily because it could result in a decline in Ohio’s sports betting sector. There are also fears that a surge in betting costs could see sportsbook operators leaving the state and encourage bettors towards using illegal offshore sites.

Ohio lawmakers are being warned that “Bob and Betty Buckeye” will also feel the pain of another doubling of the state’s tax rate for sportsbook operators, not just gambling companies.

Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget plan to help pay for a new Cleveland Browns’ stadium and other stadium projects by doubling the state’s sports-gambling tax could be sacked just after kickoff, as Ohio House leaders from both parties expressed hesitation at best about the proposal.