Entering sports wagering would be the latest expansion for the Ohio Lottery, which began selling lottery tickets in 1974, added Keno gambling for taverns and other outlets in 2008, and began regulating slots-only racinos in 2012. 

Barry Cottle, Scientific Games President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Steve is a fantastic addition to our Scientific Games executive team. His years of global marketing expertise in the gaming, entertainment and sport sectors, coupled with his mobile and online experience will help us create a world-class global marketing team, drive revenue growth and take Scientific Games to the next level."

“Like nearly every state lottery in this country, Michigan’s Lottery generates hundreds of millions of dollars every year to fund education,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.  “Billions of dollars are generated annually across this country for critical governmental services including schools, senior citizens programs, first responders and infrastructure programs. This new interpretation of the law could have a dire effect on these programs by threatening their funding source.”

State officials were not immediately clear on the decision’s fiscal fallout in Georgia, where the lottery transferred a record-setting $1.1 billion for pre-kindergarten and HOPE scholarship programs in 2018. The letter by Kemp and Carr said a ban on online lottery sales “would devastate the benefits provided to citizens in Georgia and across the nation through state lotteries.”

The agency appears poised to return nearly $1 billion in local aid to cities and towns.