Ohio’s new iGaming bill establishes a default deposit and time limits for online gaming. Although symbolically chaotic, these guardrails may provide real-world steadiness to players navigating the digital casino slopes.
When playing iCasino, it’s incredibly simple to get out ahead of yourself.
Naturally, in a metaphorical sense.
Additionally, it’s very easy to go into an uncontrollable freefall after getting out before your skis, bounce around like a rolled-up ball of Silly Putty, break 17 ankles (two of yours and 15 of innocent bystanders), wave off help, try to stand to make it down the mountain but step on a rake, grab your wife’s friend’s butt by mistake in an attempt to stay balanced, fall again, roll into the strangely patched-together wooden fence at the bottom of the hill, and get a few splinters in your face while playing iCasino.
Of course, I’m speaking metaphorically.
Which is why I commend a small tidbit tucked within state Sen. Nathan Manning’s Ohio iGaming bill, which is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday. The regulation effectively states that all online wagers must have accounts with default weekly deposit restrictions of $500 and time constraints of five hours, but users may — and will — change these limits.
Do you want to play some Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania Slingo? Cool. You have $500 and five hours to complete it, unless you go in and adjust the parameters. A little Blackjack? Knock yourself out—five hours, $500. (The law also includes iLottery and online horse racing betting, with similar starting restrictions.)
This is, in my opinion, simple sense, and the operators should implement it right away.
“This is a good concept,” said Keith Whyte, creator and president of Safer Gambling Strategies and a long-time responsible gambling advocate. “I’m not going to take a stand on how they chose the $500 and five hours — I suspect it’s arbitrary — but unless presented with evidence otherwise, it seems reasonable.”
