As Hamilton County and the Bengals wrangle over how to fund major upgrades needed to Paycor Stadium, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has suggested gamblers could pay for some of it.
In his two-year state budget proposal released Monday, DeWine proposed raising Ohio’s sports gaming tax from 20% to 40% to generate money for professional sports facilities and youth sports.
DeWine said the tax hike on sports bettors would bring in $130 million to $180 million a year.
This could provide a potential pool of money for Hamilton County to upgrade Paycor Stadium. The county and Bengals are negotiating a new lease on the 25-year-old county-owned stadium. That will likely involve making expensive improvements to the stadium and surrounding area.
