Ohio Online Gambling Sites - Gamble Legally In Ohio

With the closure of almost half of Atlantic City's casinos, Newark set to vote on gambling and casinos or racinos in almost every state, it seems as if the reasons for the very existence of Atlantic City are in serious jeopardy.
Israel Joffe
Atlantic City, once a major vacation spot during the roaring 20s and 1930s, as seen on HBOs Boardwalk Empire, collapsed when cheap air fare became the norm and people had no reason to head to the many beach town resorts on the East Coast. Within a few decades, the city, known for being an ‘oasis of sin’ during the prohibition era, fell into serious decline and dilapidation.
New Jersey officials felt the only way to bring Atlantic City back from the brink of disaster would be to legalize gambling. Atlantic City’s first casino, Resorts, first opened its doors in 1978. People stood shoulder to shoulder, packed into the hotel as gambling officially made its way to the East Coast. Folks in the East Coast didn't have to make a special trip all the way to Vegas in order to enjoy some craps, slots, roulette and more.
As time wore on, Atlantic City became the premier gambling spots in the country.
While detractors felt that the area still remained poor and dilapidated, officials were quick to point out that the casinos didn't bring the mass gentrification to Atlantic City as much as they hoped but the billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs for the surrounding communities was well worth it.
Atlantic City developed a reputation as more of a short-stay ‘day-cation’ type of place, yet managed to stand firm against the 'adult playground' and 'entertainment capital of the world' Las Vegas.
Through-out the 1980s, Atlantic City would become an integral part of American pop culture as a place for east coast residents to gamble, watch boxing, wrestling, concerts and other sporting events.
However in the late 1980s, a landmark ruling considered Native-American reservations to be sovereign entities not bound by state law. It was the first potential threat to the iron grip Atlantic City and Vegas had on the gambling and entertainment industry.
Huge 'mega casinos' were built on reservations that rivaled Atlantic City and Vegas. In turn, Vegas built even more impressive casinos.
Atlantic City, in an attempt to make the city more appealing to the ‘big whale’ millionaire and billionaire gamblers, and in effort to move away from its ‘seedy’ reputation, built the luxurious Borgata casino in 2003. Harrah’s created a billion dollar extension and other casinos in the area went through serious renovations and re-branded themselves.
It seemed as if the bite that the Native American casinos took out of AC and Vegas’ profits was negligible and that the dominance of those two cities in the world of gambling would remain unchallenged.
Then Macau, formally a colony of Portugal, was handed back to the Chinese in 1999. The gambling industry there had been operated under a government-issued monopoly license by Stanley Ho's Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau. The monopoly was ended in 2002 and several casino owners from Las Vegas attempted to enter the market.
Under the one country, two systems policy, the territory remained virtually unchanged aside from mega casinos popping up everywhere. All the rich ‘whales’ from the far east had no reason anymore to go to the United States to spend their money.
Then came the biggest threat.
As revenue from dog and horse racing tracks around the United States dried up, government officials needed a way to bring back jobs and revitalize the surrounding communities. Slot machines in race tracks started in Iowa in 1994 but took off in 2004 when Pennsylvania introduced ‘Racinos’ in an effort to reduce property taxes for the state and to help depressed areas bounce back.
As of 2013, racinos were legal in ten states: Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia with more expected in 2015.
Tracks like Delaware Park and West Virginia's Mountaineer Park, once considered places where local degenerates bet on broken-down nags in claiming races, are now among the wealthiest tracks around, with the best races.
The famous Aqueduct race track in Queens, NY, once facing an uncertain future, now possesses the most profitable casino in the United States.
From June 2012 to June 2013, Aqueduct matched a quarter of Atlantic City's total gaming revenue from its dozen casinos: $729.2 million compared with A.C.'s $2.9 billion. It has taken an estimated 15 percent hit on New Jersey casino revenue and climbing.
And it isn't just Aqueduct that's taking business away from them. Atlantic City's closest major city, Philadelphia, only 35-40 minutes away, and one of the largest cities in America, now has a casino that has contributed heavily to the decline in gamers visiting the area.
New Jersey is the third state in the U.S. to have authorized internet gambling. However, these online casinos are owned and controlled by Atlantic City casinos in an effort to boost profits in the face of fierce competition.
California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Texas are hoping to join Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and the U.S. Virgin Islands in offering online gambling to their residents.
With this in mind, it seems the very niche that Atlantic City once offered as a gambling and entertainment hub for east coast residents is heading toward the dustbin of history.
Time will tell if this city will end up like Detroit. However, the fact that they are losing their biggest industry to major competition, much like Detroit did, with depressed housing, casinos bankrupting/closing and businesses fleeing , it all makes Atlantic City’s fate seem eerily similar.

Streaming at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S82_3b9JITQ and http://ohiochannel.org/governor-live-stream.html
I recommend using the youtube link.
I will be keeping this post updated with a summary as it continues. Things I find most important will be bold. Keep in mind it will often be paraphrased. The stream itself is the best source.
Previous streams can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCporaXCeaOJgZKz7y3C0zbg
Thank you for all the awards and other offers but please save your money for the future economic uncertainty which is likely going to occur.
Ohio: 24,800 confirmed cases (with 1,557 extra probable cases), 1,388/24,800 confirmed deaths (with 146 extra probable deaths), 4,718 hospitalizations, 1,268/4,718 in the ICU
United States: 1,397,700 confirmed cases and 84,109 deaths.
Here is a link to a google drive that shows the history of cases and deaths created by kcmasterpiece347: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNGX6aLGsyIWZctChwsQ-UdRQ8JEzhuS9I_1oVnkb4s/edit?usp=sharing
0110010001100010 has put together information on the latest and most accurate numbers here: http://covid19.danoniot.com/
Here are some graphs showing the latest information created by st1tchy:
4/7: https://imgur.com/BX95vIU
4/8: https://imgur.com/OdP8nFu
4/9: https://imgur.com/bXtPvZI
4/12: https://imgur.com/Zu2G5Dp
4/13: https://imgur.com/VqYuLzP
4/14: https://imgur.com/KD43gKy
4/15: https://imgur.com/JHwcrsJ
4/16: https://imgur.com/dNCPrZr
4/17: https://imgur.com/rzkZwuJ
4/18: https://imgur.com/4FFkKHn
4/19: https://imgur.com/bMEGH0e
4/20: https://imgur.com/a/vvOfaD6
4/21: https://imgur.com/QJXKMfx
4/22: https://imgur.com/dBSow4z
4/23: https://imgur.com/Ea7GULT
4/24: https://imgur.com/MQTZWku
4/27: https://imgur.com/UeHhlve
4/28: https://imgur.com/IPt12zi
4/29: https://imgur.com/zdVKLQA
4/30: https://imgur.com/dCeij16
5/01: https://imgur.com/bIPUbzw
5/04: https://imgur.com/G28UoY3
5/06: https://imgur.com/VitMOFA
2:03 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Today I'm wearing a tie from Case Western Reserve University
This week is Police Week. I want to thank everyone in law enforcement. Unfortunately, many events honoring our fallen police officers have had to be canceled due to COVID-19. I would like to take a moment to mention those who have died serving Ohio in 2020. Let's have a moment of silence in remembrance of their sacrifice and the sacrifices of those currently serving Ohio.
A close friend of mine, Dwight Radcliff died on May 6th. Fran and I attended his funeral. He was the longest serving sheriff at the time of his retirement in 2013.
Former state representative Andy Thompson also unexpectedly yesterday. He served the state well.
On Tuesday, I talked about childcare and explained the concerns we had. We've been discussing this for weeks, trying to figure out what the best practices for reopening would be. There really is not enough data about children and COVID-19. We want to get more data and find a way to reopen safely, in a way that protects children and childcare employees. if we do this wrong we will run the risk of exposing more Ohioans to COVID-19. Childcare providers will be allowed to reopen on May 31st. This will look different from before and I am going to have Joni Close, President of the Sisters of Charity Foundation speak about the changes we plan to make.
2:12 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:12 PM: Joni Close begins speaking
Maximum of 9 per classroom for most children, with toddlers having a maximum of 6 per classroom. Hygienic standards will be increased dramatically. These will be only some of the changes and there will be more. Some of these might make you somewhat uncomfortable due to it being different but we believe it will be the best for you and your children.
2:16 PM: Joni Close stops speaking
2:16 PM: The Governor begins speaking
There's really no playbook out there for doing this. We need to be cautious to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. We will be constantly monitoring the current situation and we may make changes as necessary based on what we see.
We're going to perform a study into the childcare situation as it reopens. This will make Ohio a leader in the country, as we will be capable of learning more about how the virus spreads. Unfortunately, there is a lot of what we don't know and that will affect how we proceed. Childcare providers will need help due to our changes. We are going to give 60 million dollars to Ohio childcare providers, both public and private, in order to ensure they are properly funded. We will have additional information available online shortly.
2:19 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:19 PM: The Lieutenant Governor starts speaking
May is a new chapter in our response to COVID-19. We're trying to keep a balance between health of Ohioans and the health of our economy. Some more businesses may be reopening but keep in mind that it will be up to the local health departments to control what reopens and what does not.
Day Camps will reopen on May 31st. The protocols governing day camps will be released tomorrow online.
BMVs will reopen on May 26th. We want you to use the online services, as we've put a lot of effort into moving many services there. There will be some cases where you have to go into the BMV but only go as absolutely necessary. There is still an extension on renewals, so you do not have to do this immediately.
Campgrounds will also open completely, on May 21st. They will have to meet certain requirements that are currently available online.
Gyms and fitness center may reopen on May 26th. The new protocols for them will be available later today. Non contact and limited sports will also reopen on May 26th. Other, more contact-oriented sports will be investigated for reopening as well.
Pools will also be able reopen on May 26th. The CDC has found no evidence of the spread of COVID-19 in water. Water parks and amusement parks will not be reopening based on our guidance.
Horse racing can reopen on May 22nd but spectators will be prohibited. This does not mean that Casinos or Racinos can reopen.
2:30 PM: The Lieutenant Governor stops speaking
2:30 PM: Amy Acton starts speaking
231,795 tested in total. Of those infected, 4,121 were health care workers.
We're digging deep into the policies related to childcare and how it will affect the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank our entire childcare team. We're going to be working with a national study, that will have a large focus on Ohio, in order to find out the best practices for reopening childcare. We're working to become a nationwide leader in the study of childcare during this pandemic.
2:36 PM: Amy Acton stops speaking
2:36 PM: Question Period Begins
Regarding childcare and with the possibility of further illness and death in children with COVID-19, is it possible we are gambling the lives of our children by reopening and doing this study?
Amy Acton: I don't think we're gambling by doing this. Everyone is important and deserves protection. We are going to do this based on expert advice on best practices. We need to give parents a chance to go back to work and prosper. We know of the cases of children getting far sicker and we're paying close attention to this. COVID-19 has an exaggerated response on our immune system no matter the age, but we want to make sure to learn and understand how it affects children, as well, as time goes on.
2:39 PM: There are concerns that children are not receiving the education they would have otherwise. Will schools be capable of reopening in the fall and what can you do to ensure they are receiving the education they need if they do not?
Governor: I think this is a major concern. Many teachers are making strides in distance learning but some kids don't have internet or have other issues. The fact that we know so little about COVID-19 makes us feel that schools cannot reopen any time soon but every school is currently looking into ways they can reopen. We still don't know how things will be by the fall but we will do everything we can.
2:42 PM: It sounds like many childcare centers will have to turn families away. How do you plan on advising them on that subject?
Governor: I think it's going to be difficult for any of us to predict how the market will change with these new rules. We are giving money to childcare providers in order to ensure they are capable of reopening. This is a work in progress, which means that we're still learning and finding out new ways to lessen the spread of COVID-19, while reopening childcare.
Childcare providers may have to hire more employees in order to serve the families they had in the past. Unfortunately, some may not be capable of reopening due to financial troubles. We did all of these things in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will keep making these decisions with that in mind.
2:46 PM: It seems that cases, deaths, and other metrics have plateaued rather than gone down. What has changed in how you perceive success as time has gone on?
Governor: We've seen a plateau over three weeks in terms of all of our metrics. We were most worried about a large surge. We're still ramping up our testing. We're doing 8,000 tests every day sat this point. We need to keep our testing capacity increasing while also ensuring our supply chain can keep getting those tests out to those who need them. Testing and contact tracing is how we're going to keep this virus from spreading. There are many other indicators, such as traffic rates throughout the state, that we are looking at in order to make future decisions regarding mitigations.
2:48 PM: Reddit is freaking out and it’s causing some problems with my updates. Fixed as of 2:50 PM.
Amy Acton: No one on our team is ignoring the concern and worry that Ohioans are feeling right now. As we go on, you need to keep in mind how at risk you are and use that knowledge to make your decisions and keep yourself safe.
2:51 PM: Using what we've learned about antibody testing, how do we know that we didn't have a surge earlier?
Amy Acton: This is a process that will take years. We won't understand COVID-19 for quite some time. Many have been claiming that they had many symptoms of COVID-19 early on in the knowledge of the disease. Obviously, as time goes on, hindsight will be 20-20. We'll keep looking into new information as it comes out.
2:54 PM: The most prevalent question I've received is regarding the unemployment system not serving Ohioans properly. I know you've made improvements but many feel it is not enough. What more can you do for them?
Lieutenant Governor: This is the thing I've been most frustrated for Ohioans about personally. Director Kim Hall has been working to do everything her team can do to improve the system and has already created the new system for 1099 employees. I know that around 100,000 people have not been served yet and many others have not been able to get through to receive more information on their claims. We're all doing everything we can to expand the system as possible. Our system is very old and difficult to update but many other states are facing these same issues. Unfortunately, we have received many fraudulent claims and those need to be policed and denied. This is part of what leads to such delays.
2:59 PM: What targets will state agencies be hitting in terms of reductions in the coming fiscal year?
Governor: We'll be discussing that with the legislature. We've already made very tough cuts but we don't have any new information available at this time. One thing I can say is that this is a very difficult time. Costs are going up and our revenues are decreasing dramatically.
3:01 PM: Do you have an idea of how many families might be left out of day cares? Will licensing become more flexible? What about using school facilities?
Governor: It's not our goal to have any families left out of the system. We're doing surveys on how many providers will be coming back. We'll adjust as necessary. We can't make any definitive statements at this time.
Lieutenant Governor: Please remember that we're working on supporting the childcare industry to ensure that all of this can work.
3:03 PM: Are you going to remove Dr. Acton's order that closed school facilities until June in order to allow youth sports to reopen?
Governor: We were actually just discussing that earlier. It's a very good point. We're still looking into that.
Lieutenant Governor: Grounds are not technically closed by the order, only buildings. We will not be forcing any local community to reopen. I am sure that as we go on, there will be things that slipped through the cracks and we want to ensure that the lines of communication are open as much as possible.
3:06 PM: Are you concerned about a pending legal battle over your orders? As you know, Wisconsin's stay at home order was struck down by their Supreme court.
Governor: I have already been sued a lot. We want to ensure that our orders conform more to what we are seeing day to day. We are seeing stories from Europe about second waves and we really don't want to have to see that in Ohio. We need to be very careful as everything opens up. Staying safe in this crucial time will decide our future numbers and whether we have to close again.
3:08 PM: There is a feeling that your Minority Health Task Force hasn't made any new statements or released more information. What is going on with this?
Governor: I will be talking about that either Monday or Tuesday. This virus has pulled back the curtain on poverty and racial issues, especially in regards to health care access. We've worked with the legislature to look into issues of infant and maternal mortality and we saw these issues already. We're now going to have to figure out new ways to help African American communities in Ohio. That will come next week.
3:11 PM: Why are we not hearing more about treatment? Also will we not be returning to normal life until a vaccine comes out? Is Hydroxychloroquine being given out to patients?
Amy Acton: I talked a lot about treatment early on but I can talk about it more in the future. We've received shipments of new drugs for use against COVID-19. There is still developing information on drugs like Hydroxychloroquine, in terms of its affect on COVID-19. For now we'll have to treat the symptoms up until we can find a cure, if we can find a cure. The thing that worries me the most is the low oxygen levels found in those with COVID-19, who are walking around, not even realizing it.
3:16 PM: How can you prove to those who are trusting in your orders that reopening as we are is safe?
Amy Acton: When we first made our orders, we were using information from George Bush's administration, that we believed would best protect Ohioans. We do know that this has had effects on the economy and even people's mental and physical health. This is going to be a collaborative process but it needs to go on with caution. The biggest thing that will slow and stop the spread of disease will be how everyone lives. Be judicious with your choices and decisions as time goes on.
3:19 PM: How do you plan on bringing forward gun reforms in Ohio that you promised, despite the pandemic?
Governor: That's a continuing discussion with the legislature.
3:21 PM: There's been information in certain nursing home facilities regarding the zone and region system you've mentioned that showed that some of them have no information regarding that system. What do you think about that?
Governor: This is not something that should be happening. I believe you that this is happening but it's something that I do not want to have happening. I don't know what facility you're talking about but I think we're going to keep moving forward on that.
Amy Acton: I'll look into this and speak to our leaders in that area regarding improving this.
3:24 PM: Are we getting close to returning to normal regarding surgeries?
Governor: It's been in the past week or so that we've released new orders regarding that. We need to keep monitoring our hospital capacity as time goes on in order to decide if we can return to normal
3:25 PM: Question Period Ends
3:25 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Thank you to all of our childcare workers and everyone else returning to work.
We'll be playing a rendition of Amazing Grace by the Combined Pinkerton North and Pinkerton Central Marching Bands.
No more updates until Monday unless it's absolutely necessary.
3:27 PM: The Stream Ended.

Ever since i started playing regularly, i've researched anonymity in places. Here is what i have for each state plus a bunch of other countries. If anything is outdated or incorrect, please comment.
United States
Alabama: No current lottery. Source: https://www.wtvy.com/content/news/Lottery-bill-other-legislation-is-likely-dead-in-Alabama-legislature-569059451.html
Alaska: No current lottery/Not Anonymous. "Unlike most other states, Alaska doesn’t have a state-sponsored lottery." Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/alaska/ Alaska does permit charities to run lotteries, the largest one is Not Anonymous. Source: http://www.lottoalaska.com/
Alaska's governor has proposed a bill to create an official Alaska State Lottery. Source: https://apnews.com/78cacca5137f6b47e41be2de37600044
American Samoa: No current lottery. Source: https://simonsblogpark.com/onlinegambling/simons-guide-to-gambling-in-american-samoa/amp/
Arizona: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all wins of $100,000 and over. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/arizona-becomes-latest-state-shield-lottery-winners-names-n995696
Arkansas: Not Anonymous/Other entities unclear. "Winner information is subject to disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A winner who receives a prize or prize payment from the ASL grants the ASL, its agents, officers, employees, and representatives the right to use, publish (in print or by means of the Internet) and reproduce the winner’s name, physical likeness, photograph, portraits, and statements made by the winner, and use audio sound clips and video or film footage of the winner for the purpose of press releases, advertising, and promoting the ASL". Source: https://www.myarkansaslottery.com/claim-your-prize
California: Not Anonymous/Only individuals can claim. “ The name and location of the retailer who sold you the winning ticket, the date you won and the amount of your winnings are also matters of public record and are subject to disclosure. You can form a trust prior to claiming your prize, but our regulations do not allow a trust to claim a prize. Understand that your name is still public and reportable”. Source: https://static.www.calottery.com/~/media/Publications/Popular_Downloads/winners-handbook-October%202018-%20English.pdf
Colorado: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. “As part of the Open Records Act, we are required to release to the public your name, hometown, amount you won and the game you played. This information will be posted on coloradolottery.com and will be furnished to media upon request.” Source: https://www.coloradolottery.com/en/games/lotto/claim-winnings/ Source: https://denver.cbslocal.com/2016/01/15/in-colorado-and-other-states-lottery-winners-can-keep-names-secret/
Connecticut: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust or LLC, "Certain information about our winners is public information: Winner's name and place of residence, date of claim, game played, prize amount won, and the selling retailer's name and location. While most winners claim prizes using their individual names, some winners come forward using other legal entities (i.e., trusts, business partnership) to claim their prizes. In those instances, the Lottery will promote the win using that legal entity's name. For more information about such instances, please consult your personal accountant or legal advisor.” Source: https://www.ctlottery.org/Content/winner_publicity.aspx
Delaware: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. "Many winners have chosen to remain anonymous, as allowed by state law, but their excitement is yours to share!" Source: https://www.delottery.com/Winners and https://www.delottery.com/FAQs
DC: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust or LLC. Anonymous question is not directly answered on lottery website. "In the District of Columbia, specific lottery winner information is public record." However, a Powerball Jackpot win was claimed via a LLC in 2009. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/04/AR2009050402008.html
Florida: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC. "Florida Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide the winner's name, city of residence, game won, date won and amount won to any third party who requests the information; however Florida Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: http://www.flalottery.com/faq
The Florida Lottery allows trusts to claim it, however winner information is still released in compliance with the law. A $15 Million jackpot was claimed by an LLC. Source: https://www.fox13news.com/amp/consumehit-the-lottery-remain-anonymous-not-in-florida Source: http://flalottery.com/pressRelease?searchID=199128
Georgia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all prizes over $250,000. Source: https://www.stl.news/georgia-governor-signs-bill-allowing-lottery-winners-remain-anonymous/121962/
Guam: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.kuam.com/story/11218413/guamanian-wins-big-in-sportsbingo-but-has-yet-to-claim-2m-prize
Hawaii: No current lottery. Source: https://www.kitv.com/story/40182224/powerball-or-mega-millions-lottery-in-hawaii
Idaho: Not Anonymous."By claiming a winning lottery ticket over $600, winners become subject to Idaho’s Public Records Law. This means your “win” becomes an offcial Idaho public record. Your full name, the town where you live, the game you won, the amount you won (before and after taxes), the name of the retailer where you bought the ticket, and the amount the retailer receives for selling the ticket are all a matter of public record." Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.idaholottery.com/images/uploads/general/winnersguideweb.pdf
Illinois: Not Anonymous/Anonymous if requested by winner for all wins over $250,000 however info will be released to a FOIA request. "However, Murphy also cooperated with the Illinois Press Association in adding an amendment that ensures that Freedom of Information Act, an act designed to keep government agencies transparent by allowing the public to access any public record by request, supersedes the privacy law, according to attorney Don Craven, the press association’s legal counsel." Source: https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Hidden-riches-Big-lottery-winner-in-Beardstown-13626173.php
Indiana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC or trust. "Indiana law allows lottery jackpot winners to remain anonymous, with the money being claimed by a limited liability company or legal trust." Source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-indiana-mega-millions-winners-20160729-story.html
Iowa: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust to claim but information will be released. "When you win an Iowa Lottery prize of $600 or more, you have to fill out a winner claim form that includes your name, address and Social Security number before you can claim your winnings. Iowa law makes the information on that claim form public, meaning that anyone can request a copy of the form to see who has won the prize. We redact sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, from the form before we release it, but all other details are considered public information under Iowa law (Iowa Code Section 99G.34(5)." Source: https://www.ialotteryblog.com/2008/11/can-prize-winne.html.
For group play, "Prizes can be paid to players who play as a group. A check can be written to an entity such as a trust or to a single individual." Source: https://ialottery.com/pages/Games/ClaimingPrizes.aspx
Kansas: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "Kansas is one of a handful of states that does not have this requirement. If you win a prize in Kansas, you may request that your identity not be released publicly." Source: https://www.kslottery.com/faqs#faq-8
Kentucky: Anonymity appears to be an option. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website. But multiple instances of winners claiming anonymously have been reported in the news. "Kentucky Lottery spokesman Chip Polson said the $1 million Powerball winner claimed the prize on May 15 and the Mega Million winner claimed the prize on May 12. He confirmed that both players wanted their identity to remain a secret." Source: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2017/05/19/two-1-million-lottery-winners-who-bought-tickets-louisville-want-privacy/101870414/
Louisiana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "Under the Lottery's statute, all prize payment records are open records, meaning that the public has a right to request the information. Depending upon the amount won and public or media interest in the win, winners may NOT be able to remain anonymous. The statute also allows the Lottery to use winners' names and city of residence for publicity purposes such as news releases. The Lottery's regular practice is not to use winner information in paid advertising or product promotion without the winner's willingness to participate. Source: https://louisianalottery.com/faq/easy-5#35 Source: https://louisianalottery.com/article/1050/the-williams-trust-claims-share-of-50-million-powerball-jackpot
Maine: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "In the event that Maine does have a Mega Millions winner, he or she can opt to remain anonymous — but Boardman says that’s never happened. “What a winner could do in Maine is they could file their claim in the name of a trust, and the trust becomes the winner. So that’s how a winner could claim their ticket anonymously,” he says." Source: https://www.mainepublic.org/post/lottery-official-reminds-mainers-they-re-exceedingly-unlikely-win-16-billion-jackpot
Maryland*: Not Anonymous by Law, Anonymous in Practice. "However, the legal basis for this anonymity in Maryland is thin. The Maryland Lottery does not advertise that lottery winners may remain anonymous, but it posts articles on its website about winners and notes those winners who have “chosen to remain anonymous:” Source: https://www.gw-law.com/blog/anonymity-maryland-lottery-winners
*"Please note that this anonymity protection does not apply to second-chance and Points for Drawings contests run through the My Lottery Rewards program. Those contests are run as promotions for the Lottery. As such, they are operated under a different set of rules than our draw games and scratch-off games. The rules of participating in our second-chance and Points for Drawings contests state that winners' identities are published."" Source: https://www.mdlottery.com/about-us/faqs/
Massachusetts: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust "Lottery regulations state that a claimant's name, city or town, image, amount of prize, claim date and game are public record. Therefore, photographs may be taken and used to publicize winnings." Source: https://www.masslive.com/news/2018/05/lottery_sees_increase_in_winne.html
Michigan: Not Anonymous for Powerball and Mega Millions/100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for all other winners over $10,000. "Winner Anonymity. Michigan law requires written consent before disclosing the identity of the winner of $10,000 or more from the State lottery games Lotto47 and Fantasy 5. You further understand and agree that your identity may be disclosed, and that disclosure may be required, as the winner of any prize from the multi-state games Powerball and Mega Millions." Source: https://www.michiganlottery.com/games/mega-millions
Minnesota: Not Anonymous. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but lottery blog states "In Minnesota, lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. A winner's name, city, prize amount won and the place that the winning ticket was sold is public data and will be released to media and posted on our website." Source: https://www.mnlottery.com/blog/you-won-now-what
Mississippi: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "In accordance with the Alyce G. Clarke Mississippi Lottery Law, the Mississippi Lottery will not disclose the identity of the person holding a winning lottery ticket without that person's written permission." Source: https://www.mslotteryhome.com/players/faqs/
Missouri: Not Anonymous. "At the Lottery Headquarters, a member of the Lottery's communications staff will ask you questions about your win, such as how many tickets you bought, when you found out that you won and what you plan to do with your prize money. This information will be used for a news release. You will also be asked, but are not required, to participate in a news conference, most likely at the store where you purchased your winning ticket." Source: http://www.molottery.com/whenyouwin/jackpotwin.shtm
A Missouri State Legislator has submitted a bill to the State House to give lottery winners anonymity. Source: https://www.kfvs12.com/2020/02/25/mo-house-considers-legislation-protect-identity-lottery-winners/
Montana: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. "In Montana, by law, certain information about lottery winners is considered public. That information includes: the winner's name, the amount won and the winner's community of residence. Winners may choose to claim as an individual or they may choose to form a trust and claim their prize as a trust. If a trust claims a lottery prize, the name of the trust is considered public information. A trust must have a federal tax identification number in order to claim a Montana Lottery prize." Source: https://www.montanalottery.com/en/view/about-faqs
Nebraska: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via LLC. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but a winner created a legal entity to claim anonymously in 2014. "Nebraska Lottery spokesman Neil Watson said with the help of a Kearney lawyer, the winner or winners have created a legal entity called Carpe Diem LLC." Source: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/m-nebraska-powerball-winner-to-remain-anonymous/article_a044d0f0-99a7-5302-bcb9-2ce799b3a798.html
A Nebraska State Legislator has now filed a bill to give 100% Anonymity to all winners over $300,000 who request it. Source: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/anonymity-for-lottery-winners-bill-would-give-privacy-to-those/article_1cdba44d-c8bb-5971-b73f-2eecc8cd4625.html
Nevada: No current lottery. Source: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/heres-why-you-cant-play-powerball-in-nevada/
New Hampshire: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a trust. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but a winner successfully sued the lottery and won the right to remain anonymous in 2018. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/03/12/winner-of-a-560-million-powerball-jackpot-can-keep-the-money-and-her-secret-judge-rules/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bec2db2f7d2c
New Jersey: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nj.com/politics/2020/01/win-big-you-can-claim-those-nj-lottery-winnings-anonymously-under-new-law.html
New Mexico: Not Anonymous. “Winners of $10,000 or more will have name, city, game played, and prize amount and photo on website.” Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.nmlottery.com/uploads/FileLinks/82400d81a0ce468daab29ebe6db3ec27/Winner_Publicity_Policy_6_1_07.pdf
New York: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via a LLC. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but per Gov. Cuomo: "For the past 40 years, individuals wishing to keep their name and information out of the public view have created LLCs to collect their winnings for them." Source: https://nypost.com/2018/12/09/cuomo-vetoes-bill-allowing-lotto-winners-to-remain-anonymous/
North Carolina: Not Anonymous. "North Carolina law allows lottery winners' identity to remain confidential only if they have an active protective order against someone or participate in the state's "Address Confidentiality Program" for victims of domestic violence, sexual offense, stalking or human trafficking." Source: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article54548645.html
North Dakota: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.kfyrtv.com/home/headlines/ND-Powerball-Winners-Have-Option-to-Remain-Anonymous-364918121.html
Northern Mariana Islands: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nmsalottery.com/game-rules/
Ohio: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but appears to have an anonymous option. "The procedure from there was a little cumbersome. I needed to create two separate trusts. One trust was to appoint me, as the trustee on behalf of the winner, to contact the Lottery Commission and accept the Lottery winnings. The secondary trust was set up for me as trustee of the first trust, to transfer the proceeds to the second trust with the winner as the beneficiary. This enabled me to present the ticket, accept the proceeds, and transfer it to the winner with no public record or disclosure." Source: https://www.altickcorwin.com/Articles/How-To-Claim-Lottery-Winnings-Anonymously.shtml
Oklahoma: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust or LLC. In accordance with the Oklahoma Open Records Act and the Oklahoma Education Lottery Act, the name of any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association, limited liability company, or other legal entity, and their city of residence will be made public. Source: https://www.lottery.ok.gov/playersclub/faq.asp Source: https://oklahoman.com/article/5596678/lottery-winners-deserve-some-anonymity
Oregon: Not Anonymous. "No. Certain information about Lottery prizes is public record, including the name of the winner, amount of the prize, date of the drawing, name of the game played and city in which the winning ticket was purchased. Oregon citizens have a right to know that Lottery prizes are indeed being awarded to real persons. " Source: https://oregonlottery.org/about/public-interaction/commission-directofrequently-asked-questions Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3353432/Man-living-Iraq-wins-6-4-million-Oregon-jackpot.html
Pennsylvania: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. Source: https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/trust-that-won-powerball-no-relation-to-manheim-township-emerald/article_29834922-4ca2-11e8-baac-1b15a17f3e9c.html
Puerto Rico: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/puerto-rico-powerball-winner-claims-prize-chooses-stay-anonymous-n309121
Rhode Island: Not Anonymous/Anonymous if requested but all info is subject to FOIA. "While the Lottery will do everything possible to keep a winner's information private if requested by the winner, in Rhode Island and most other states, this information falls under the Freedom of Information Act, and a winner's name and city or town of residency must be released upon request." Source: https://www.rilot.com/en-us/player-zone/faqs.html
South Carolina: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Anonymity or who can claim is not addressed on lottery website but appears to have an anonymous option based on prior winners. Source: https://myfox8.com/2019/03/15/the-anonymous-south-carolina-winner-of-the-largest-lottery-jackpot-is-donating-part-of-it-to-alabama-tornado-victims/
South Dakota: Not Anonymous for draw games and online games/100% Anonymous for Scratchoffs if requested by the winner. "You can remain anonymous on any amount won from a scratch ticket game. Jackpots for online games are required to be public knowledge. Play It Again winners are also public knowledge." Source: https://lottery.sd.gov/FAQ2018/gamefaq.aspx.
Tennessee: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust but info subject to open records act. Anonymity is explicitly noted as not being allowed on the official lottery website. Source: https://www.tnlottery.com/faq/i-won
However if it is claimed via a trust then the lottery will not give out your information unless requested to do so. "The TN lottery says: "When claiming a Lottery prize through a Trust, the TN Lottery would need identity documentation for the grantor and all ultimate beneficiaries. Once we are in possession of these documents and information, records are generated. If a formal request is made by a citizen of Tennessee, the Trust beneficiary's name, city and state must be made available under the Tennessee Open Records Act." Source: https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/in-tennessee--can-a-lottery-jackpot-be-claimed-whi-2327592.html
Texas: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for $1 million or more IF the winner claims it as an individual AND chooses the Cash option. Not Anonymous if claimed by a trust or LLC or if the winner chooses the Annuity option. Source: https://www.txlottery.org/export/sites/lottery/Documents/retailers/FAQ_Winner_Anonymity_12112017_final.pdf
Utah: No current lottery. Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/utah/
Vermont: Not Anonymous/Anonymous via trust. “The name, town and prize amount on your Claim Form is public information. If you put your name on the Claim Form, your name becomes public information. If you claim your prize in a trust, the name of the trust is placed on the Claim Form, and the name of the trust is public information.” Source: https://vtlottery.com/about/faq
Virginia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for prizes over $10 million. "A new law passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by the Governor prohibits the Virginia Lottery from disclosing information about big jackpot winners." "When the bill goes into effect this summer, the Virginia Lottery will not be allowed to release certain information about winners whose prize exceeds $10 million, unless the winner wants to be known." Source: https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/new-virginia-law-allows-certain-lottery-winners-to-keep-identity-private/291-c33ea642-e8fa-45fd-b3a4-dc693cf5b372
US Virgin Islands: Anonymity appears to be an option. A $2 Million Powerball winner was allowed to remain anonymous. Source: https://viconsortium.com/virgin-islands-2/st-croix-resident-wins-2-million-in-latest-power-ball-drawing/
Washington: Not Anonymous/Can use a trust but info subject to open records act. "As a public agency, all documents held by Washington's Lottery are subject to the Public Records Act. Lottery prizes may be claimed in the name of a legally formed entity, such as a trust. However, in the event of a public records request, the documents forming the artificial entity may be released, thereby revealing the individual names of winners." https://www.walottery.com/ClaimYourPrize/
West Virginia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner for prizes over $1 million and 5% of winnings remittance. "Effective January 1, 2019, House Bill 2982 allows winners of State Lottery draw games to remain anonymous in regards to his or her name, personal contact information, and likeness; providing that the prize exceeds one million dollars and the individual who elects to remain anonymous remits five percent of his or her winnings to the State Lottery Fund." Source: https://wvlottery.com/customer-service/customer-resources/
Wisconsin: Not Anonymous/Cannot be claimed by other entities. "Pursuant to Wisconsin’s Open Records law (Wis. Stats. Secs. 19.31–19.39), the Lottery is required to disclose a winner’s name, likeness and place of residence. If you win and claim a prize, the Lottery may use your name, likeness and place of residence for any purpose without compensation to you.
Upon claiming your prize, you waive any claims against the Lottery and its representatives for any and all liability which may result from the disclosure or use of such information." "The original winning ticket must be signed by a single human being. For-profit and non-profit entities, trusts, and other non-human beings are not eligible to play or claim a prize." Source: https://wilottery.com/claimprize.aspx
Wyoming: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. "We will honor requests for anonymity from winners. However, we certainly hope winners will allow us to share their names and good news with other players." Source: https://wyolotto.com/lottery/faq/
Other countries
Australia: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. "The great thing about playing lotto in Australia is that winners can choose to remain anonymous and keep their privacy, unlike in the United States where winners don't have such a choice, and are often thrown into a media circus." Source: https://www.ozlotteries.com/blog/how-to-remain-anonymous-when-you-win-lotto/
Bahamas: No current lottery. Source: https://thenassauguardian.com/2013/01/29/strong-no-vote-trend-so-far-in-gaming-referendum/
Bahrain: Not Anonymous. Source: https://bdutyfree.com/terms-conditions1#.X8ru92lOmdM
Barbados: Not Anonymous. "No. Barbados Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. The Barbados Lottery mandates the winner’s name, address, game won, date won and amount won be provided; however Barbados Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: https://www.mybarbadoslottery.com/faqs
Brazil: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.lotterycritic.com/lottery-results/brazil-lottery/
Canada: Not Anonymous. Every provincial lottery corporation in Canada requires winners to participate in a publicity photo shoot showing their face, their name and their municipality. Can seek anonymity if you have specific security concerns (rarely granted). Source: https://consumers.findlaw.ca/article/can-lottery-winners-remain-anonymous/
Carribbean Lottery Countries (Antigua/Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Maarten/Saba/St. Eustatius, and Turks/Caicos): Not Anonymous. "No. Caribbean Lottery winners cannot remain anonymous. The Caribbean Lottery mandates the winner’s name, address, game won, date won and amount won be provided; however Caribbean Lottery winners' home addresses and telephone numbers are confidential." Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
China: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Must appear in a press conference and photo but allowed to wear disguise. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/01/22/china-lottery-winners-mask/22108515/
Cuba: No current lottery. Source: https://oncubanews.com/en/cuba/society-cuba/cuban-traditions/lottery-the-national-game-infographics/
EuroMillions Countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and UK*): 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.euro-millions.com/publicity
*United Kingdom: Excludes
*Caymen Islands, and Falkland Islands: No current lottery. Source: https://calvinayre.com/2018/11/02/business/cayman-islands-move-illegal-gambling-doesnt-address-real-issue/ Source: https://simonsblogpark.com/onlinegambling/simons-guide-gambling-falkland-islands/amp/#lottery-falkland-islands
*Anguilla, and Turks & Caicos: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
EuroJackpot Countries (Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands*, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden): 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.euro-jackpot.net/en/publicity
*Netherlands: Excludes
*St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.thecaribbeanlottery.com/faqs
Fiji: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://fijisun.com.fj/2012/11/08/3m-lotto-win-here/
Georgia (Kartvelia): Anonymity appears to be an option. "2.9.1. Prizes and Winners. Each Bidder shall provide details of:....how winners who waive their right to privacy will be treated;" Source: https://mof.ge/images/File/lottery/tender-documentation.pdf
Greece: Anonymity appears to be an option. "The bearer of the ticket shall keep the details of the ticket confidential and not reveal them to any third party." Source: https://www.opap.gen/identity-terms-of-use-lotto
Guyana: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2013/05/16/winner-says-he-was-too-busy-to-collect-78m-lotto-prize/
India*: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35771298
*: Only available in the states of Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram. Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/lottery-mizoram-nagaland-sikkim-kerala-975188-2017-05-04
Indonesia: No current lottery. Source: https://apnews.com/45eb94ff1b1132470a7aa5902f0bc734
Israel: Not Anonymous by Law, Anonymous in Practice. “[A]lthough we have this right, we have never exercised it because we understood the difficulties the winners could encounter in the period after their win. We provide details about the winner, but in a manner that doesn’t disclose their identity,” Dolin Melnik, then-spokesperson for Israel’s Mifal Hapayis lottery told Haaretz in 2009." Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-the-israeli-lottery-gives-winners-masks/
Jamaica: Not Anonymous. First initial and last name of winner was released but winner was allowed to wear a mask for photo. Source: https://news.e-servicis.com/news/trending/lottery-winner-takes-prize-in-scream-mask.1S/
Japan: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/08/business/japans-lottery-rakes-declining-revenues-younger-generation-gives-jackpot-chances-pass/#.XRYwVVMpCdM
Kenya: Not Anonymous. "9.1 When You claim or are paid a prize, You will automatically be deemed to grant to O8 LOTTO an irrevocable right to publish, through all types of media broadcasting, including the internet, for the purposes of promoting the win, Your full name (as well as Your nick name), hometown, photograph and video materials without any claim for broadcasting, printing or other rights" Source: https://mylottokenya.co.ke/terms-conditions
Malaysia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://says.com/my/news/a-24-year-old-malaysian-woman-just-won-more-than-rm4-million-from-4d-lottery
Nagorno-Karabakh: Not Anonymous. Source: http://asbarez.com/120737/artsakh-lottery-winner-claims-car-prize/
New Zealand: 100% Anonymous if requested by winner. Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10383080
North Korea: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.nknews.org/2018/11/north-korean-sports-ministry-launches-online-lottery/
Northern Cyprus: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.pressreader.com/cyprus/cyprus-today/20181124/281590946615912
Oman: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://www.omanlottery.com/
Philippines: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.rappler.com/nation/214995-ultra-lotto-winners-claim-winnings-pcso-october-2018
Qatar: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.qatarliving.com/forum/qatar-living-lounge/posts/qatar-duty-free-announces-latest-us1-million
Romania: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.thelotter.com/win-lottery-anonymously/
Russia: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://siberiantimes.com/otheothers/news/siberian-scoops-a-record-184513512-roubles-on-russian-state-lottery/
Samoa: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/191796/samoa%27s-lotto-winner-still-a-mystery
Saudi Arabia: No current lottery. Source: https://www.arabnews.com/police-arrest-lottery-crooks-victimizing-expats
Singapore: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/did-you-win-here-are-results-of-136m-toto-hongbao-draw
Solomon Islands: No current lottery. Source: http://www.paclii.org/sb/legis/consol_act/gala196/
South Africa: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/powerball-results/powerball-winner-r232-million-found-lottery-details/
South Korea: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: https://elaw.klri.re.keng_mobile/viewer.do?hseq=38378&type=sogan&key=5
Sri Lanka: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/01/31/where-do-all-the-lottery-winners-go/
Taiwan: 100% Anonymous if requested by the winner. Source: http://m.focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201806250011.aspx
Trinidad and Tobago: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/student-wins-the-million-lotto/article_3f3c8550-570d-11e9-9cc3-b7550f9b4ad4.html
Tuvalu: No current lottery. Source: http://tuvalu-legislation.tv/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1964/1964-0004/GamingandLotteries_1.pdf
United Arab Emirates: Not Anonymous. Source: https://www.ndtv.com/indians-abroad/shojith-ks-in-sharjah-uae-wins-abu-dhabi-duty-free-big-ticket-4-million-jackpot-rejects-calls-2032942
Vatican City: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/12/04/popes-white-lamborghini-up-for-raffle-winner-gets-trip-to-rome/
Vietnam: Anonymity appears to be an option. Source: https://ampe.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnamese-farmer-identified-as-winner-of-4-million-lottery-jackpot-3484751.html
Windward Lottery Countries (Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines): Not Anonymous. "Prize winners asked to do so by Winlot must give their name and address, and satisfactory establish their identity. All winners of the Jackpot (Match 6) prize will be photographed. Note that Winlot and CBN reserve the right to publish the names, addresses and photographs of all the winners." Source: http://www.stlucialotto.com/snl/super6_rules_regs.php

We all love to read stories about big wins and imagine ourselves in the shoes of those winners. But, have you ever thought about what happens at that very moment after successfully beating the slot machine? Usually, the slot machine locks up and, in most cases, you hear the music and see the flashing lights on top of the machine. But one of the first questions every player asks is whether they have to pay taxes on casino winnings? Well, you’re about to find out!

Taxes on Slot Machine Winnings in USA

In the USA, when a lucky player hits a jackpot, there’s the option of receiving the winnings in cash or check. In case it’s a large sum, it’s usually paid by check. However, the IRS only obliges the casinos to report winnings that are larger than $1,200.
Of course, all winners are obliged to show a proper identification— a valid ID or passport. When the casino checks for your identification they also look at your age to make sure you are officially and legally old enough to play. As the minimum legal age for gambling varies from state to state, be sure to check it out before you decide to play.

Do I Have to Report All Winnings?

All gambling winnings received from slot machines are subject to federal taxes, and both cash and non-cash winnings (like a car or a vacation) are fully taxable. Apart from slot machines, the same applies to winnings from lottery, bingo, keno, poker or other games of chance. So, if the amount won on a slot machine is higher than $1200, the casino is required to report it. In other words, all your gambling winnings have to be reported on your tax return as "other income" on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 8.

Slot Machine Winnings in W-2G Form

In case it happens to you and you snag that big win (which we hope one day you will), it’s useful to know that casino or other payer must give you a W-2G Form, listing your name, address and Social Security number. So, if the winnings are reported through a W-2G Form, federal taxes will be withheld at a rate of 25%.
If, however, you didn’t provide your Social Security number (or your Tax Identification Number), in that case the withholding will be 28%. Either way, a copy of your Form W-2G should be issued, showing the amount you won alongside the amount of tax withheld. One copy needs to go to the IRS, as well.
Aside from slot winnings, Form W-2G is issued to winners of the following types of gambling activities like:

• bingo (for players who win $1,200 or more),
• keno (for at least $1,500 worth wins)
• poker tournament players (for the $5,000 win or more).
• a horse track (if the winnings are 300x your bet)

However, not all gambling winnings are subject to IRS Form W2-G. For instance, W2-G forms are not required for winnings from table games like blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, whatever the amount. You’d still have to report your winnings to the IRS, it’s just you won’t need to do it through W-2G Form.

Are My Slot Losses Deductible?

The good news is that you can deduct your slot losses (line 28 of Schedule A, Form 1040), while the bad news is gambling losses are deductible only up to the amount of your wins. In other words, you can use your losses to compensate for your winnings. So, let’s say you won $200 on one bet, but you lost $400 on one or a few others, you can only deduct the first $200 of losses. Meaning if you didn’t win anything for a year, you won’t be able to deduct any of your gambling losses.
In order to prove your losses, you need to keep good records and have suitable documents. So, whenever you lose, keep those losing tickets, cancelled checks and credit slips. Your documentation must include the amount you won or lost, a date and time, type of wager, type of your gambling activity, name of each casino/address of each casino you visited and the location of their gambling business. You may as well list the people who were with you.

Do State and Local Taxes Apply Separately?

Yes, you are required to pay your state or local taxes on your gambling winnings. In case you travel to another state, and snag some huge winning combo there, that other state would want to tax your winnings too. But don’t worry, you won't be taxed twice, as the state where you reside needs to give you a tax credit for the taxes you pay to that other state.
Keep in mind though that some states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Ohio don't allow gambling losses.

Online Slot Taxes

Whether you usually spin the reels of your favourite casino games in land-based casinos in the US, overseas casinos, or online casinos, all income for the citizens of the US is taxable. As a US citizen, you are required to send Form W2G for all winnings from a slot machine (not reduced by the wager) that equals to or is more than $1,200.

Taxes on Slot Machine Winnings in UK

As a resident of the United Kingdom, your gambling winnings won’t be taxed. Unlike the USA mentioned above, you’ll be allowed to keep whatever it is that you have won and earned in Britain, even in case you are a poker pro. Then again, you won’t be able to deduct any losses you might collect.
It doesn’t really matter if you win £5 or £5 million playing online slots, your winnings will be tax-free as long as you reside anywhere in the UK, be that in England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland.

Taxes on Slot Machine Winnings in Canada

If you are a recreational player who lives in Canada, we have good news for you. When it comes to gambling, you don't have to pay taxes as your winnings are totally tax free. According to laws in Canada, gambling activities don’t fall under the category of constant source of income, therefore your winnings will not be taxed.
Canadians don't even pay taxes on their lottery winnings. The only exception here are professional gamblers who make a living from betting and are, therefore, obliged to pay taxes. Keep in mind though, this is the current situation - laws in Canada change frequently, which may also include tax laws.

Taxes on Slot Machine Winnings in Australia

In case you reside in Australia and like to visit casinos from time to time, you’ll be happy to find out that your winnings in Australia will not taxed and here are 3 core reasons for that:

• Gambling is not treated a profession (it's treated as a hobby)
• The government doesn’t see profits from gambling activities as income, but as a result of good luck
• The Australian government taxes casino operators and lottery organisers instead.

Of course, taxation varies from state to state.

Taxes on Slot Machine Winnings in New Zealand

Unlike in Australia, where even professional players can claim they are recreational, in New Zealand slot machine winnings (and any other winnings from casino games) are considered taxable income, in case the player has little income from other resources.
But, apart from professional gambling, it is very unusual for winnings to be taxed in New Zealand. Most often, gambling is considered recreational and not income, so players can enjoy their gameplay as they do not have to pay taxes on their winnings.

Previous streams can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCporaXCeaOJgZKz7y3C0zbg
Thank you for all the awards and other offers but please save your money for the future economic uncertainty which is likely going to occur.
Ohio: 24,800 confirmed cases (with 1,557 extra probable cases), 1,388/24,800 confirmed deaths (with 146 extra probable deaths), 4,718 hospitalizations, 1,268/4,718 in the ICU
United States: 1,397,700 confirmed cases and 84,109 deaths.
Here is a link to a google drive that shows the history of cases and deaths created by kcmasterpiece347: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNGX6aLGsyIWZctChwsQ-UdRQ8JEzhuS9I_1oVnkb4s/edit?usp=sharing
0110010001100010 has put together information on the latest and most accurate numbers here: http://covid19.danoniot.com/
Here are some graphs showing the latest information created by st1tchy:
4/7: https://imgur.com/BX95vIU
4/8: https://imgur.com/OdP8nFu
4/9: https://imgur.com/bXtPvZI
4/12: https://imgur.com/Zu2G5Dp
4/13: https://imgur.com/VqYuLzP
4/14: https://imgur.com/KD43gKy
4/15: https://imgur.com/JHwcrsJ
4/16: https://imgur.com/dNCPrZr
4/17: https://imgur.com/rzkZwuJ
4/18: https://imgur.com/4FFkKHn
4/19: https://imgur.com/bMEGH0e
4/20: https://imgur.com/a/vvOfaD6
4/21: https://imgur.com/QJXKMfx
4/22: https://imgur.com/dBSow4z
4/23: https://imgur.com/Ea7GULT
4/24: https://imgur.com/MQTZWku
4/27: https://imgur.com/UeHhlve
4/28: https://imgur.com/IPt12zi
4/29: https://imgur.com/zdVKLQA
4/30: https://imgur.com/dCeij16
5/01: https://imgur.com/bIPUbzw
5/04: https://imgur.com/G28UoY3
5/06: https://imgur.com/VitMOFA
2:03 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Today I'm wearing a tie from Case Western Reserve University
This week is Police Week. I want to thank everyone in law enforcement. Unfortunately, many events honoring our fallen police officers have had to be canceled due to COVID-19. I would like to take a moment to mention those who have died serving Ohio in 2020. Let's have a moment of silence in remembrance of their sacrifice and the sacrifices of those currently serving Ohio.
A close friend of mine, Dwight Radcliff died on May 6th. Fran and I attended his funeral. He was the longest serving sheriff at the time of his retirement in 2013.
Former state representative Andy Thompson also unexpectedly yesterday. He served the state well.
On Tuesday, I talked about childcare and explained the concerns we had. We've been discussing this for weeks, trying to figure out what the best practices for reopening would be. There really is not enough data about children and COVID-19. We want to get more data and find a way to reopen safely, in a way that protects children and childcare employees. if we do this wrong we will run the risk of exposing more Ohioans to COVID-19. Childcare providers will be allowed to reopen on May 31st. This will look different from before and I am going to have Joni Close, President of the Sisters of Charity Foundation speak about the changes we plan to make.
2:12 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:12 PM: Joni Close begins speaking
Maximum of 9 per classroom for most children, with toddlers having a maximum of 6 per classroom. Hygienic standards will be increased dramatically. These will be only some of the changes and there will be more. Some of these might make you somewhat uncomfortable due to it being different but we believe it will be the best for you and your children.
2:16 PM: Joni Close stops speaking
2:16 PM: The Governor begins speaking
There's really no playbook out there for doing this. We need to be cautious to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. We will be constantly monitoring the current situation and we may make changes as necessary based on what we see.
We're going to perform a study into the childcare situation as it reopens. This will make Ohio a leader in the country, as we will be capable of learning more about how the virus spreads. Unfortunately, there is a lot of what we don't know and that will affect how we proceed. Childcare providers will need help due to our changes. We are going to give 60 million dollars to Ohio childcare providers, both public and private, in order to ensure they are properly funded. We will have additional information available online shortly.
2:19 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:19 PM: The Lieutenant Governor starts speaking
May is a new chapter in our response to COVID-19. We're trying to keep a balance between health of Ohioans and the health of our economy. Some more businesses may be reopening but keep in mind that it will be up to the local health departments to control what reopens and what does not.
Day Camps will reopen on May 31st. The protocols governing day camps will be released tomorrow online.
BMVs will reopen on May 26th. We want you to use the online services, as we've put a lot of effort into moving many services there. There will be some cases where you have to go into the BMV but only go as absolutely necessary. There is still an extension on renewals, so you do not have to do this immediately.
Campgrounds will also open completely, on May 21st. They will have to meet certain requirements that are currently available online.
Gyms and fitness center may reopen on May 26th. The new protocols for them will be available later today. Non contact and limited sports will also reopen on May 26th. Other, more contact-oriented sports will be investigated for reopening as well.
Pools will also be able reopen on May 26th. The CDC has found no evidence of the spread of COVID-19 in water. Water parks and amusement parks will not be reopening based on our guidance.
Horse racing can reopen on May 22nd but spectators will be prohibited. This does not mean that Casinos or Racinos can reopen.
2:30 PM: The Lieutenant Governor stops speaking
2:30 PM: Amy Acton starts speaking
231,795 tested in total. Of those infected, 4,121 were health care workers.
We're digging deep into the policies related to childcare and how it will affect the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank our entire childcare team. We're going to be working with a national study, that will have a large focus on Ohio, in order to find out the best practices for reopening childcare. We're working to become a nationwide leader in the study of childcare during this pandemic.
2:36 PM: Amy Acton stops speaking
2:36 PM: Question Period Begins
Regarding childcare and with the possibility of further illness and death in children with COVID-19, is it possible we are gambling the lives of our children by reopening and doing this study?
Amy Acton: I don't think we're gambling by doing this. Everyone is important and deserves protection. We are going to do this based on expert advice on best practices. We need to give parents a chance to go back to work and prosper. We know of the cases of children getting far sicker and we're paying close attention to this. COVID-19 has an exaggerated response on our immune system no matter the age, but we want to make sure to learn and understand how it affects children, as well, as time goes on.
2:39 PM: There are concerns that children are not receiving the education they would have otherwise. Will schools be capable of reopening in the fall and what can you do to ensure they are receiving the education they need if they do not?
Governor: I think this is a major concern. Many teachers are making strides in distance learning but some kids don't have internet or have other issues. The fact that we know so little about COVID-19 makes us feel that schools cannot reopen any time soon but every school is currently looking into ways they can reopen. We still don't know how things will be by the fall but we will do everything we can.
2:42 PM: It sounds like many childcare centers will have to turn families away. How do you plan on advising them on that subject?
Governor: I think it's going to be difficult for any of us to predict how the market will change with these new rules. We are giving money to childcare providers in order to ensure they are capable of reopening. This is a work in progress, which means that we're still learning and finding out new ways to lessen the spread of COVID-19, while reopening childcare.
Childcare providers may have to hire more employees in order to serve the families they had in the past. Unfortunately, some may not be capable of reopening due to financial troubles. We did all of these things in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will keep making these decisions with that in mind.
2:46 PM: It seems that cases, deaths, and other metrics have plateaued rather than gone down. What has changed in how you perceive success as time has gone on?
Governor: We've seen a plateau over three weeks in terms of all of our metrics. We were most worried about a large surge. We're still ramping up our testing. We're doing 8,000 tests every day sat this point. We need to keep our testing capacity increasing while also ensuring our supply chain can keep getting those tests out to those who need them. Testing and contact tracing is how we're going to keep this virus from spreading. There are many other indicators, such as traffic rates throughout the state, that we are looking at in order to make future decisions regarding mitigations.
2:48 PM: Reddit is freaking out and it’s causing some problems with my updates. Fixed as of 2:50 PM.
Amy Acton: No one on our team is ignoring the concern and worry that Ohioans are feeling right now. As we go on, you need to keep in mind how at risk you are and use that knowledge to make your decisions and keep yourself safe.
2:51 PM: Using what we've learned about antibody testing, how do we know that we didn't have a surge earlier?
Amy Acton: This is a process that will take years. We won't understand COVID-19 for quite some time. Many have been claiming that they had many symptoms of COVID-19 early on in the knowledge of the disease. Obviously, as time goes on, hindsight will be 20-20. We'll keep looking into new information as it comes out.
2:54 PM: The most prevalent question I've received is regarding the unemployment system not serving Ohioans properly. I know you've made improvements but many feel it is not enough. What more can you do for them?
Lieutenant Governor: This is the thing I've been most frustrated for Ohioans about personally. Director Kim Hall has been working to do everything her team can do to improve the system and has already created the new system for 1099 employees. I know that around 100,000 people have not been served yet and many others have not been able to get through to receive more information on their claims. We're all doing everything we can to expand the system as possible. Our system is very old and difficult to update but many other states are facing these same issues. Unfortunately, we have received many fraudulent claims and those need to be policed and denied. This is part of what leads to such delays.
2:59 PM: What targets will state agencies be hitting in terms of reductions in the coming fiscal year?
Governor: We'll be discussing that with the legislature. We've already made very tough cuts but we don't have any new information available at this time. One thing I can say is that this is a very difficult time. Costs are going up and our revenues are decreasing dramatically.
3:01 PM: Do you have an idea of how many families might be left out of day cares? Will licensing become more flexible? What about using school facilities?
Governor: It's not our goal to have any families left out of the system. We're doing surveys on how many providers will be coming back. We'll adjust as necessary. We can't make any definitive statements at this time.
Lieutenant Governor: Please remember that we're working on supporting the childcare industry to ensure that all of this can work.
3:03 PM: Are you going to remove Dr. Acton's order that closed school facilities until June in order to allow youth sports to reopen?
Governor: We were actually just discussing that earlier. It's a very good point. We're still looking into that.
Lieutenant Governor: Grounds are not technically closed by the order, only buildings. We will not be forcing any local community to reopen. I am sure that as we go on, there will be things that slipped through the cracks and we want to ensure that the lines of communication are open as much as possible.
3:06 PM: Are you concerned about a pending legal battle over your orders? As you know, Wisconsin's stay at home order was struck down by their Supreme court.
Governor: I have already been sued a lot. We want to ensure that our orders conform more to what we are seeing day to day. We are seeing stories from Europe about second waves and we really don't want to have to see that in Ohio. We need to be very careful as everything opens up. Staying safe in this crucial time will decide our future numbers and whether we have to close again.
3:08 PM: There is a feeling that your Minority Health Task Force hasn't made any new statements or released more information. What is going on with this?
Governor: I will be talking about that either Monday or Tuesday. This virus has pulled back the curtain on poverty and racial issues, especially in regards to health care access. We've worked with the legislature to look into issues of infant and maternal mortality and we saw these issues already. We're now going to have to figure out new ways to help African American communities in Ohio. That will come next week.
3:11 PM: Why are we not hearing more about treatment? Also will we not be returning to normal life until a vaccine comes out? Is Hydroxychloroquine being given out to patients?
Amy Acton: I talked a lot about treatment early on but I can talk about it more in the future. We've received shipments of new drugs for use against COVID-19. There is still developing information on drugs like Hydroxychloroquine, in terms of its affect on COVID-19. For now we'll have to treat the symptoms up until we can find a cure, if we can find a cure. The thing that worries me the most is the low oxygen levels found in those with COVID-19, who are walking around, not even realizing it.
3:16 PM: How can you prove to those who are trusting in your orders that reopening as we are is safe?
Amy Acton: When we first made our orders, we were using information from George Bush's administration, that we believed would best protect Ohioans. We do know that this has had effects on the economy and even people's mental and physical health. This is going to be a collaborative process but it needs to go on with caution. The biggest thing that will slow and stop the spread of disease will be how everyone lives. Be judicious with your choices and decisions as time goes on.
3:19 PM: How do you plan on bringing forward gun reforms in Ohio that you promised, despite the pandemic?
Governor: That's a continuing discussion with the legislature.
3:21 PM: There's been information in certain nursing home facilities regarding the zone and region system you've mentioned that showed that some of them have no information regarding that system. What do you think about that?
Governor: This is not something that should be happening. I believe you that this is happening but it's something that I do not want to have happening. I don't know what facility you're talking about but I think we're going to keep moving forward on that.
Amy Acton: I'll look into this and speak to our leaders in that area regarding improving this.
3:24 PM: Are we getting close to returning to normal regarding surgeries?
Governor: It's been in the past week or so that we've released new orders regarding that. We need to keep monitoring our hospital capacity as time goes on in order to decide if we can return to normal
3:25 PM: Question Period Ends
3:25 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Thank you to all of our childcare workers and everyone else returning to work.
We'll be playing a rendition of Amazing Grace by the Combined Pinkerton North and Pinkerton Central Marching Bands.
No more updates until Monday unless it's absolutely necessary.
3:27 PM: The Stream Ended.

Landcadia Holdings II (LCA) is Worth Your Investment, and Here’s Why…
Tilman J Fertitta, owner of Golden Nugget casinos and CEO of LCA, holds a net worth of $4.9 Billion according to Forbes. He entered a purchase agreement on June 28th, 2020 in an effort to merge both of these companies, here is the 8k sec filing. The merge is set to happen sometime in the 3Q changing ticker from LCA to GNOC, as stated in this article. Although there is no current price target on LCA, it had an enterprise valuation of $385.94 M on 09/30/2019, fairly close to its competitor DraftKings (DKNG) with a valuation of $392.86 M on 09/30/2019. However, it should be noted that these valuations were published before the actual merger of DraftKings and Diamond Eagle Acquisition Corp.
We could have a similar scenario with LCA once the merger happens, potentially surpassing DraftKings' share price, since Golden Nugget has continued producing revenue throughout this pandemic. Golden Nugget is leading the New Jersey online casino market and was responsible for 33.8% of the state’s $85.9m gross gaming revenue in May alone, according to igaming. We could see an increase in revenue for GNOC given that the following states have active bills looking to legalize sports betting: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia. If California were to do so, it could generate them an approximate 700 million every year in tax revenue, according to the Los Angeles Times. Texas could potentially be open to online gambling as well, as Fertitta has joined Governor Abbott’s advisory council to safely reopen the state. Fertitta is not only looking out for himself, but his investors as well.

Previous streams can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCporaXCeaOJgZKz7y3C0zbg
Thank you for all the awards and other offers but please save your money for the future economic uncertainty which is likely going to occur.
Ohio: 24,800 confirmed cases (with 1,557 extra probable cases), 1,388/24,800 confirmed deaths (with 146 extra probable deaths), 4,718 hospitalizations, 1,268/4,718 in the ICU
United States: 1,397,700 confirmed cases and 84,109 deaths.
Here is a link to a google drive that shows the history of cases and deaths created by kcmasterpiece347: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNGX6aLGsyIWZctChwsQ-UdRQ8JEzhuS9I_1oVnkb4s/edit?usp=sharing
0110010001100010 has put together information on the latest and most accurate numbers here: http://covid19.danoniot.com/
Here are some graphs showing the latest information created by st1tchy:
4/7: https://imgur.com/BX95vIU
4/8: https://imgur.com/OdP8nFu
4/9: https://imgur.com/bXtPvZI
4/12: https://imgur.com/Zu2G5Dp
4/13: https://imgur.com/VqYuLzP
4/14: https://imgur.com/KD43gKy
4/15: https://imgur.com/JHwcrsJ
4/16: https://imgur.com/dNCPrZr
4/17: https://imgur.com/rzkZwuJ
4/18: https://imgur.com/4FFkKHn
4/19: https://imgur.com/bMEGH0e
4/20: https://imgur.com/a/vvOfaD6
4/21: https://imgur.com/QJXKMfx
4/22: https://imgur.com/dBSow4z
4/23: https://imgur.com/Ea7GULT
4/24: https://imgur.com/MQTZWku
4/27: https://imgur.com/UeHhlve
4/28: https://imgur.com/IPt12zi
4/29: https://imgur.com/zdVKLQA
4/30: https://imgur.com/dCeij16
5/01: https://imgur.com/bIPUbzw
5/04: https://imgur.com/G28UoY3
5/06: https://imgur.com/VitMOFA
2:03 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Today I'm wearing a tie from Case Western Reserve University
This week is Police Week. I want to thank everyone in law enforcement. Unfortunately, many events honoring our fallen police officers have had to be canceled due to COVID-19. I would like to take a moment to mention those who have died serving Ohio in 2020. Let's have a moment of silence in remembrance of their sacrifice and the sacrifices of those currently serving Ohio.
A close friend of mine, Dwight Radcliff died on May 6th. Fran and I attended his funeral. He was the longest serving sheriff at the time of his retirement in 2013.
Former state representative Andy Thompson also unexpectedly yesterday. He served the state well.
On Tuesday, I talked about childcare and explained the concerns we had. We've been discussing this for weeks, trying to figure out what the best practices for reopening would be. There really is not enough data about children and COVID-19. We want to get more data and find a way to reopen safely, in a way that protects children and childcare employees. if we do this wrong we will run the risk of exposing more Ohioans to COVID-19. Childcare providers will be allowed to reopen on May 31st. This will look different from before and I am going to have Joni Close, President of the Sisters of Charity Foundation speak about the changes we plan to make.
2:12 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:12 PM: Joni Close begins speaking
Maximum of 9 per classroom for most children, with toddlers having a maximum of 6 per classroom. Hygienic standards will be increased dramatically. These will be only some of the changes and there will be more. Some of these might make you somewhat uncomfortable due to it being different but we believe it will be the best for you and your children.
2:16 PM: Joni Close stops speaking
2:16 PM: The Governor begins speaking
There's really no playbook out there for doing this. We need to be cautious to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. We will be constantly monitoring the current situation and we may make changes as necessary based on what we see.
We're going to perform a study into the childcare situation as it reopens. This will make Ohio a leader in the country, as we will be capable of learning more about how the virus spreads. Unfortunately, there is a lot of what we don't know and that will affect how we proceed. Childcare providers will need help due to our changes. We are going to give 60 million dollars to Ohio childcare providers, both public and private, in order to ensure they are properly funded. We will have additional information available online shortly.
2:19 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:19 PM: The Lieutenant Governor starts speaking
May is a new chapter in our response to COVID-19. We're trying to keep a balance between health of Ohioans and the health of our economy. Some more businesses may be reopening but keep in mind that it will be up to the local health departments to control what reopens and what does not.
Day Camps will reopen on May 31st. The protocols governing day camps will be released tomorrow online.
BMVs will reopen on May 26th. We want you to use the online services, as we've put a lot of effort into moving many services there. There will be some cases where you have to go into the BMV but only go as absolutely necessary. There is still an extension on renewals, so you do not have to do this immediately.
Campgrounds will also open completely, on May 21st. They will have to meet certain requirements that are currently available online.
Gyms and fitness center may reopen on May 26th. The new protocols for them will be available later today. Non contact and limited sports will also reopen on May 26th. Other, more contact-oriented sports will be investigated for reopening as well.
Pools will also be able reopen on May 26th. The CDC has found no evidence of the spread of COVID-19 in water. Water parks and amusement parks will not be reopening based on our guidance.
Horse racing can reopen on May 22nd but spectators will be prohibited. This does not mean that Casinos or Racinos can reopen.
2:30 PM: The Lieutenant Governor stops speaking
2:30 PM: Amy Acton starts speaking
231,795 tested in total. Of those infected, 4,121 were health care workers.
We're digging deep into the policies related to childcare and how it will affect the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank our entire childcare team. We're going to be working with a national study, that will have a large focus on Ohio, in order to find out the best practices for reopening childcare. We're working to become a nationwide leader in the study of childcare during this pandemic.
2:36 PM: Amy Acton stops speaking
2:36 PM: Question Period Begins
Regarding childcare and with the possibility of further illness and death in children with COVID-19, is it possible we are gambling the lives of our children by reopening and doing this study?
Amy Acton: I don't think we're gambling by doing this. Everyone is important and deserves protection. We are going to do this based on expert advice on best practices. We need to give parents a chance to go back to work and prosper. We know of the cases of children getting far sicker and we're paying close attention to this. COVID-19 has an exaggerated response on our immune system no matter the age, but we want to make sure to learn and understand how it affects children, as well, as time goes on.
2:39 PM: There are concerns that children are not receiving the education they would have otherwise. Will schools be capable of reopening in the fall and what can you do to ensure they are receiving the education they need if they do not?
Governor: I think this is a major concern. Many teachers are making strides in distance learning but some kids don't have internet or have other issues. The fact that we know so little about COVID-19 makes us feel that schools cannot reopen any time soon but every school is currently looking into ways they can reopen. We still don't know how things will be by the fall but we will do everything we can.
2:42 PM: It sounds like many childcare centers will have to turn families away. How do you plan on advising them on that subject?
Governor: I think it's going to be difficult for any of us to predict how the market will change with these new rules. We are giving money to childcare providers in order to ensure they are capable of reopening. This is a work in progress, which means that we're still learning and finding out new ways to lessen the spread of COVID-19, while reopening childcare.
Childcare providers may have to hire more employees in order to serve the families they had in the past. Unfortunately, some may not be capable of reopening due to financial troubles. We did all of these things in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will keep making these decisions with that in mind.
2:46 PM: It seems that cases, deaths, and other metrics have plateaued rather than gone down. What has changed in how you perceive success as time has gone on?
Governor: We've seen a plateau over three weeks in terms of all of our metrics. We were most worried about a large surge. We're still ramping up our testing. We're doing 8,000 tests every day sat this point. We need to keep our testing capacity increasing while also ensuring our supply chain can keep getting those tests out to those who need them. Testing and contact tracing is how we're going to keep this virus from spreading. There are many other indicators, such as traffic rates throughout the state, that we are looking at in order to make future decisions regarding mitigations.
2:48 PM: Reddit is freaking out and it’s causing some problems with my updates. Fixed as of 2:50 PM.
Amy Acton: No one on our team is ignoring the concern and worry that Ohioans are feeling right now. As we go on, you need to keep in mind how at risk you are and use that knowledge to make your decisions and keep yourself safe.
2:51 PM: Using what we've learned about antibody testing, how do we know that we didn't have a surge earlier?
Amy Acton: This is a process that will take years. We won't understand COVID-19 for quite some time. Many have been claiming that they had many symptoms of COVID-19 early on in the knowledge of the disease. Obviously, as time goes on, hindsight will be 20-20. We'll keep looking into new information as it comes out.
2:54 PM: The most prevalent question I've received is regarding the unemployment system not serving Ohioans properly. I know you've made improvements but many feel it is not enough. What more can you do for them?
Lieutenant Governor: This is the thing I've been most frustrated for Ohioans about personally. Director Kim Hall has been working to do everything her team can do to improve the system and has already created the new system for 1099 employees. I know that around 100,000 people have not been served yet and many others have not been able to get through to receive more information on their claims. We're all doing everything we can to expand the system as possible. Our system is very old and difficult to update but many other states are facing these same issues. Unfortunately, we have received many fraudulent claims and those need to be policed and denied. This is part of what leads to such delays.
2:59 PM: What targets will state agencies be hitting in terms of reductions in the coming fiscal year?
Governor: We'll be discussing that with the legislature. We've already made very tough cuts but we don't have any new information available at this time. One thing I can say is that this is a very difficult time. Costs are going up and our revenues are decreasing dramatically.
3:01 PM: Do you have an idea of how many families might be left out of day cares? Will licensing become more flexible? What about using school facilities?
Governor: It's not our goal to have any families left out of the system. We're doing surveys on how many providers will be coming back. We'll adjust as necessary. We can't make any definitive statements at this time.
Lieutenant Governor: Please remember that we're working on supporting the childcare industry to ensure that all of this can work.
3:03 PM: Are you going to remove Dr. Acton's order that closed school facilities until June in order to allow youth sports to reopen?
Governor: We were actually just discussing that earlier. It's a very good point. We're still looking into that.
Lieutenant Governor: Grounds are not technically closed by the order, only buildings. We will not be forcing any local community to reopen. I am sure that as we go on, there will be things that slipped through the cracks and we want to ensure that the lines of communication are open as much as possible.
3:06 PM: Are you concerned about a pending legal battle over your orders? As you know, Wisconsin's stay at home order was struck down by their Supreme court.
Governor: I have already been sued a lot. We want to ensure that our orders conform more to what we are seeing day to day. We are seeing stories from Europe about second waves and we really don't want to have to see that in Ohio. We need to be very careful as everything opens up. Staying safe in this crucial time will decide our future numbers and whether we have to close again.
3:08 PM: There is a feeling that your Minority Health Task Force hasn't made any new statements or released more information. What is going on with this?
Governor: I will be talking about that either Monday or Tuesday. This virus has pulled back the curtain on poverty and racial issues, especially in regards to health care access. We've worked with the legislature to look into issues of infant and maternal mortality and we saw these issues already. We're now going to have to figure out new ways to help African American communities in Ohio. That will come next week.
3:11 PM: Why are we not hearing more about treatment? Also will we not be returning to normal life until a vaccine comes out? Is Hydroxychloroquine being given out to patients?
Amy Acton: I talked a lot about treatment early on but I can talk about it more in the future. We've received shipments of new drugs for use against COVID-19. There is still developing information on drugs like Hydroxychloroquine, in terms of its affect on COVID-19. For now we'll have to treat the symptoms up until we can find a cure, if we can find a cure. The thing that worries me the most is the low oxygen levels found in those with COVID-19, who are walking around, not even realizing it.
3:16 PM: How can you prove to those who are trusting in your orders that reopening as we are is safe?
Amy Acton: When we first made our orders, we were using information from George Bush's administration, that we believed would best protect Ohioans. We do know that this has had effects on the economy and even people's mental and physical health. This is going to be a collaborative process but it needs to go on with caution. The biggest thing that will slow and stop the spread of disease will be how everyone lives. Be judicious with your choices and decisions as time goes on.
3:19 PM: How do you plan on bringing forward gun reforms in Ohio that you promised, despite the pandemic?
Governor: That's a continuing discussion with the legislature.
3:21 PM: There's been information in certain nursing home facilities regarding the zone and region system you've mentioned that showed that some of them have no information regarding that system. What do you think about that?
Governor: This is not something that should be happening. I believe you that this is happening but it's something that I do not want to have happening. I don't know what facility you're talking about but I think we're going to keep moving forward on that.
Amy Acton: I'll look into this and speak to our leaders in that area regarding improving this.
3:24 PM: Are we getting close to returning to normal regarding surgeries?
Governor: It's been in the past week or so that we've released new orders regarding that. We need to keep monitoring our hospital capacity as time goes on in order to decide if we can return to normal
3:25 PM: Question Period Ends
3:25 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Thank you to all of our childcare workers and everyone else returning to work.
We'll be playing a rendition of Amazing Grace by the Combined Pinkerton North and Pinkerton Central Marching Bands.
No more updates until Monday unless it's absolutely necessary.
3:27 PM: The Stream Ended.

Previous streams can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCporaXCeaOJgZKz7y3C0zbg
Thank you for all the awards and other offers but please save your money for the future economic uncertainty which is likely going to occur.
Ohio: 24,800 confirmed cases (with 1,557 extra probable cases), 1,388/24,800 confirmed deaths (with 146 extra probable deaths), 4,718 hospitalizations, 1,268/4,718 in the ICU
United States: 1,397,700 confirmed cases and 84,109 deaths.
Here is a link to a google drive that shows the history of cases and deaths created by kcmasterpiece347: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNGX6aLGsyIWZctChwsQ-UdRQ8JEzhuS9I_1oVnkb4s/edit?usp=sharing
0110010001100010 has put together information on the latest and most accurate numbers here: http://covid19.danoniot.com/
Here are some graphs showing the latest information created by st1tchy:
4/7: https://imgur.com/BX95vIU
4/8: https://imgur.com/OdP8nFu
4/9: https://imgur.com/bXtPvZI
4/12: https://imgur.com/Zu2G5Dp
4/13: https://imgur.com/VqYuLzP
4/14: https://imgur.com/KD43gKy
4/15: https://imgur.com/JHwcrsJ
4/16: https://imgur.com/dNCPrZr
4/17: https://imgur.com/rzkZwuJ
4/18: https://imgur.com/4FFkKHn
4/19: https://imgur.com/bMEGH0e
4/20: https://imgur.com/a/vvOfaD6
4/21: https://imgur.com/QJXKMfx
4/22: https://imgur.com/dBSow4z
4/23: https://imgur.com/Ea7GULT
4/24: https://imgur.com/MQTZWku
4/27: https://imgur.com/UeHhlve
4/28: https://imgur.com/IPt12zi
4/29: https://imgur.com/zdVKLQA
4/30: https://imgur.com/dCeij16
5/01: https://imgur.com/bIPUbzw
5/04: https://imgur.com/G28UoY3
5/06: https://imgur.com/VitMOFA
2:03 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Today I'm wearing a tie from Case Western Reserve University
This week is Police Week. I want to thank everyone in law enforcement. Unfortunately, many events honoring our fallen police officers have had to be canceled due to COVID-19. I would like to take a moment to mention those who have died serving Ohio in 2020. Let's have a moment of silence in remembrance of their sacrifice and the sacrifices of those currently serving Ohio.
A close friend of mine, Dwight Radcliff died on May 6th. Fran and I attended his funeral. He was the longest serving sheriff at the time of his retirement in 2013.
Former state representative Andy Thompson also unexpectedly yesterday. He served the state well.
On Tuesday, I talked about childcare and explained the concerns we had. We've been discussing this for weeks, trying to figure out what the best practices for reopening would be. There really is not enough data about children and COVID-19. We want to get more data and find a way to reopen safely, in a way that protects children and childcare employees. if we do this wrong we will run the risk of exposing more Ohioans to COVID-19. Childcare providers will be allowed to reopen on May 31st. This will look different from before and I am going to have Joni Close, President of the Sisters of Charity Foundation speak about the changes we plan to make.
2:12 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:12 PM: Joni Close begins speaking
Maximum of 9 per classroom for most children, with toddlers having a maximum of 6 per classroom. Hygienic standards will be increased dramatically. These will be only some of the changes and there will be more. Some of these might make you somewhat uncomfortable due to it being different but we believe it will be the best for you and your children.
2:16 PM: Joni Close stops speaking
2:16 PM: The Governor begins speaking
There's really no playbook out there for doing this. We need to be cautious to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. We will be constantly monitoring the current situation and we may make changes as necessary based on what we see.
We're going to perform a study into the childcare situation as it reopens. This will make Ohio a leader in the country, as we will be capable of learning more about how the virus spreads. Unfortunately, there is a lot of what we don't know and that will affect how we proceed. Childcare providers will need help due to our changes. We are going to give 60 million dollars to Ohio childcare providers, both public and private, in order to ensure they are properly funded. We will have additional information available online shortly.
2:19 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:19 PM: The Lieutenant Governor starts speaking
May is a new chapter in our response to COVID-19. We're trying to keep a balance between health of Ohioans and the health of our economy. Some more businesses may be reopening but keep in mind that it will be up to the local health departments to control what reopens and what does not.
Day Camps will reopen on May 31st. The protocols governing day camps will be released tomorrow online.
BMVs will reopen on May 26th. We want you to use the online services, as we've put a lot of effort into moving many services there. There will be some cases where you have to go into the BMV but only go as absolutely necessary. There is still an extension on renewals, so you do not have to do this immediately.
Campgrounds will also open completely, on May 21st. They will have to meet certain requirements that are currently available online.
Gyms and fitness center may reopen on May 26th. The new protocols for them will be available later today. Non contact and limited sports will also reopen on May 26th. Other, more contact-oriented sports will be investigated for reopening as well.
Pools will also be able reopen on May 26th. The CDC has found no evidence of the spread of COVID-19 in water. Water parks and amusement parks will not be reopening based on our guidance.
Horse racing can reopen on May 22nd but spectators will be prohibited. This does not mean that Casinos or Racinos can reopen.
2:30 PM: The Lieutenant Governor stops speaking
2:30 PM: Amy Acton starts speaking
231,795 tested in total. Of those infected, 4,121 were health care workers.
We're digging deep into the policies related to childcare and how it will affect the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank our entire childcare team. We're going to be working with a national study, that will have a large focus on Ohio, in order to find out the best practices for reopening childcare. We're working to become a nationwide leader in the study of childcare during this pandemic.
2:36 PM: Amy Acton stops speaking
2:36 PM: Question Period Begins
Regarding childcare and with the possibility of further illness and death in children with COVID-19, is it possible we are gambling the lives of our children by reopening and doing this study?
Amy Acton: I don't think we're gambling by doing this. Everyone is important and deserves protection. We are going to do this based on expert advice on best practices. We need to give parents a chance to go back to work and prosper. We know of the cases of children getting far sicker and we're paying close attention to this. COVID-19 has an exaggerated response on our immune system no matter the age, but we want to make sure to learn and understand how it affects children, as well, as time goes on.
2:39 PM: There are concerns that children are not receiving the education they would have otherwise. Will schools be capable of reopening in the fall and what can you do to ensure they are receiving the education they need if they do not?
Governor: I think this is a major concern. Many teachers are making strides in distance learning but some kids don't have internet or have other issues. The fact that we know so little about COVID-19 makes us feel that schools cannot reopen any time soon but every school is currently looking into ways they can reopen. We still don't know how things will be by the fall but we will do everything we can.
2:42 PM: It sounds like many childcare centers will have to turn families away. How do you plan on advising them on that subject?
Governor: I think it's going to be difficult for any of us to predict how the market will change with these new rules. We are giving money to childcare providers in order to ensure they are capable of reopening. This is a work in progress, which means that we're still learning and finding out new ways to lessen the spread of COVID-19, while reopening childcare.
Childcare providers may have to hire more employees in order to serve the families they had in the past. Unfortunately, some may not be capable of reopening due to financial troubles. We did all of these things in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will keep making these decisions with that in mind.
2:46 PM: It seems that cases, deaths, and other metrics have plateaued rather than gone down. What has changed in how you perceive success as time has gone on?
Governor: We've seen a plateau over three weeks in terms of all of our metrics. We were most worried about a large surge. We're still ramping up our testing. We're doing 8,000 tests every day sat this point. We need to keep our testing capacity increasing while also ensuring our supply chain can keep getting those tests out to those who need them. Testing and contact tracing is how we're going to keep this virus from spreading. There are many other indicators, such as traffic rates throughout the state, that we are looking at in order to make future decisions regarding mitigations.
2:48 PM: Reddit is freaking out and it’s causing some problems with my updates. Fixed as of 2:50 PM.
Amy Acton: No one on our team is ignoring the concern and worry that Ohioans are feeling right now. As we go on, you need to keep in mind how at risk you are and use that knowledge to make your decisions and keep yourself safe.
2:51 PM: Using what we've learned about antibody testing, how do we know that we didn't have a surge earlier?
Amy Acton: This is a process that will take years. We won't understand COVID-19 for quite some time. Many have been claiming that they had many symptoms of COVID-19 early on in the knowledge of the disease. Obviously, as time goes on, hindsight will be 20-20. We'll keep looking into new information as it comes out.
2:54 PM: The most prevalent question I've received is regarding the unemployment system not serving Ohioans properly. I know you've made improvements but many feel it is not enough. What more can you do for them?
Lieutenant Governor: This is the thing I've been most frustrated for Ohioans about personally. Director Kim Hall has been working to do everything her team can do to improve the system and has already created the new system for 1099 employees. I know that around 100,000 people have not been served yet and many others have not been able to get through to receive more information on their claims. We're all doing everything we can to expand the system as possible. Our system is very old and difficult to update but many other states are facing these same issues. Unfortunately, we have received many fraudulent claims and those need to be policed and denied. This is part of what leads to such delays.
2:59 PM: What targets will state agencies be hitting in terms of reductions in the coming fiscal year?
Governor: We'll be discussing that with the legislature. We've already made very tough cuts but we don't have any new information available at this time. One thing I can say is that this is a very difficult time. Costs are going up and our revenues are decreasing dramatically.
3:01 PM: Do you have an idea of how many families might be left out of day cares? Will licensing become more flexible? What about using school facilities?
Governor: It's not our goal to have any families left out of the system. We're doing surveys on how many providers will be coming back. We'll adjust as necessary. We can't make any definitive statements at this time.
Lieutenant Governor: Please remember that we're working on supporting the childcare industry to ensure that all of this can work.
3:03 PM: Are you going to remove Dr. Acton's order that closed school facilities until June in order to allow youth sports to reopen?
Governor: We were actually just discussing that earlier. It's a very good point. We're still looking into that.
Lieutenant Governor: Grounds are not technically closed by the order, only buildings. We will not be forcing any local community to reopen. I am sure that as we go on, there will be things that slipped through the cracks and we want to ensure that the lines of communication are open as much as possible.
3:06 PM: Are you concerned about a pending legal battle over your orders? As you know, Wisconsin's stay at home order was struck down by their Supreme court.
Governor: I have already been sued a lot. We want to ensure that our orders conform more to what we are seeing day to day. We are seeing stories from Europe about second waves and we really don't want to have to see that in Ohio. We need to be very careful as everything opens up. Staying safe in this crucial time will decide our future numbers and whether we have to close again.
3:08 PM: There is a feeling that your Minority Health Task Force hasn't made any new statements or released more information. What is going on with this?
Governor: I will be talking about that either Monday or Tuesday. This virus has pulled back the curtain on poverty and racial issues, especially in regards to health care access. We've worked with the legislature to look into issues of infant and maternal mortality and we saw these issues already. We're now going to have to figure out new ways to help African American communities in Ohio. That will come next week.
3:11 PM: Why are we not hearing more about treatment? Also will we not be returning to normal life until a vaccine comes out? Is Hydroxychloroquine being given out to patients?
Amy Acton: I talked a lot about treatment early on but I can talk about it more in the future. We've received shipments of new drugs for use against COVID-19. There is still developing information on drugs like Hydroxychloroquine, in terms of its affect on COVID-19. For now we'll have to treat the symptoms up until we can find a cure, if we can find a cure. The thing that worries me the most is the low oxygen levels found in those with COVID-19, who are walking around, not even realizing it.
3:16 PM: How can you prove to those who are trusting in your orders that reopening as we are is safe?
Amy Acton: When we first made our orders, we were using information from George Bush's administration, that we believed would best protect Ohioans. We do know that this has had effects on the economy and even people's mental and physical health. This is going to be a collaborative process but it needs to go on with caution. The biggest thing that will slow and stop the spread of disease will be how everyone lives. Be judicious with your choices and decisions as time goes on.
3:19 PM: How do you plan on bringing forward gun reforms in Ohio that you promised, despite the pandemic?
Governor: That's a continuing discussion with the legislature.
3:21 PM: There's been information in certain nursing home facilities regarding the zone and region system you've mentioned that showed that some of them have no information regarding that system. What do you think about that?
Governor: This is not something that should be happening. I believe you that this is happening but it's something that I do not want to have happening. I don't know what facility you're talking about but I think we're going to keep moving forward on that.
Amy Acton: I'll look into this and speak to our leaders in that area regarding improving this.
3:24 PM: Are we getting close to returning to normal regarding surgeries?
Governor: It's been in the past week or so that we've released new orders regarding that. We need to keep monitoring our hospital capacity as time goes on in order to decide if we can return to normal
3:25 PM: Question Period Ends
3:25 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Thank you to all of our childcare workers and everyone else returning to work.
We'll be playing a rendition of Amazing Grace by the Combined Pinkerton North and Pinkerton Central Marching Bands.
No more updates until Monday unless it's absolutely necessary.
3:27 PM: The Stream Ended.

Previous streams can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCporaXCeaOJgZKz7y3C0zbg
Thank you for all the awards and other offers but please save your money for the future economic uncertainty which is likely going to occur.
Ohio: 24,800 confirmed cases (with 1,557 extra probable cases), 1,388/24,800 confirmed deaths (with 146 extra probable deaths), 4,718 hospitalizations, 1,268/4,718 in the ICU
United States: 1,397,700 confirmed cases and 84,109 deaths.
Here is a link to a google drive that shows the history of cases and deaths created by kcmasterpiece347: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNGX6aLGsyIWZctChwsQ-UdRQ8JEzhuS9I_1oVnkb4s/edit?usp=sharing
0110010001100010 has put together information on the latest and most accurate numbers here: http://covid19.danoniot.com/
Here are some graphs showing the latest information created by st1tchy:
4/7: https://imgur.com/BX95vIU
4/8: https://imgur.com/OdP8nFu
4/9: https://imgur.com/bXtPvZI
4/12: https://imgur.com/Zu2G5Dp
4/13: https://imgur.com/VqYuLzP
4/14: https://imgur.com/KD43gKy
4/15: https://imgur.com/JHwcrsJ
4/16: https://imgur.com/dNCPrZr
4/17: https://imgur.com/rzkZwuJ
4/18: https://imgur.com/4FFkKHn
4/19: https://imgur.com/bMEGH0e
4/20: https://imgur.com/a/vvOfaD6
4/21: https://imgur.com/QJXKMfx
4/22: https://imgur.com/dBSow4z
4/23: https://imgur.com/Ea7GULT
4/24: https://imgur.com/MQTZWku
4/27: https://imgur.com/UeHhlve
4/28: https://imgur.com/IPt12zi
4/29: https://imgur.com/zdVKLQA
4/30: https://imgur.com/dCeij16
5/01: https://imgur.com/bIPUbzw
5/04: https://imgur.com/G28UoY3
5/06: https://imgur.com/VitMOFA
2:03 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Today I'm wearing a tie from Case Western Reserve University
This week is Police Week. I want to thank everyone in law enforcement. Unfortunately, many events honoring our fallen police officers have had to be canceled due to COVID-19. I would like to take a moment to mention those who have died serving Ohio in 2020. Let's have a moment of silence in remembrance of their sacrifice and the sacrifices of those currently serving Ohio.
A close friend of mine, Dwight Radcliff died on May 6th. Fran and I attended his funeral. He was the longest serving sheriff at the time of his retirement in 2013.
Former state representative Andy Thompson also unexpectedly yesterday. He served the state well.
On Tuesday, I talked about childcare and explained the concerns we had. We've been discussing this for weeks, trying to figure out what the best practices for reopening would be. There really is not enough data about children and COVID-19. We want to get more data and find a way to reopen safely, in a way that protects children and childcare employees. if we do this wrong we will run the risk of exposing more Ohioans to COVID-19. Childcare providers will be allowed to reopen on May 31st. This will look different from before and I am going to have Joni Close, President of the Sisters of Charity Foundation speak about the changes we plan to make.
2:12 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:12 PM: Joni Close begins speaking
Maximum of 9 per classroom for most children, with toddlers having a maximum of 6 per classroom. Hygienic standards will be increased dramatically. These will be only some of the changes and there will be more. Some of these might make you somewhat uncomfortable due to it being different but we believe it will be the best for you and your children.
2:16 PM: Joni Close stops speaking
2:16 PM: The Governor begins speaking
There's really no playbook out there for doing this. We need to be cautious to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. We will be constantly monitoring the current situation and we may make changes as necessary based on what we see.
We're going to perform a study into the childcare situation as it reopens. This will make Ohio a leader in the country, as we will be capable of learning more about how the virus spreads. Unfortunately, there is a lot of what we don't know and that will affect how we proceed. Childcare providers will need help due to our changes. We are going to give 60 million dollars to Ohio childcare providers, both public and private, in order to ensure they are properly funded. We will have additional information available online shortly.
2:19 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:19 PM: The Lieutenant Governor starts speaking
May is a new chapter in our response to COVID-19. We're trying to keep a balance between health of Ohioans and the health of our economy. Some more businesses may be reopening but keep in mind that it will be up to the local health departments to control what reopens and what does not.
Day Camps will reopen on May 31st. The protocols governing day camps will be released tomorrow online.
BMVs will reopen on May 26th. We want you to use the online services, as we've put a lot of effort into moving many services there. There will be some cases where you have to go into the BMV but only go as absolutely necessary. There is still an extension on renewals, so you do not have to do this immediately.
Campgrounds will also open completely, on May 21st. They will have to meet certain requirements that are currently available online.
Gyms and fitness center may reopen on May 26th. The new protocols for them will be available later today. Non contact and limited sports will also reopen on May 26th. Other, more contact-oriented sports will be investigated for reopening as well.
Pools will also be able reopen on May 26th. The CDC has found no evidence of the spread of COVID-19 in water. Water parks and amusement parks will not be reopening based on our guidance.
Horse racing can reopen on May 22nd but spectators will be prohibited. This does not mean that Casinos or Racinos can reopen.
2:30 PM: The Lieutenant Governor stops speaking
2:30 PM: Amy Acton starts speaking
231,795 tested in total. Of those infected, 4,121 were health care workers.
We're digging deep into the policies related to childcare and how it will affect the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank our entire childcare team. We're going to be working with a national study, that will have a large focus on Ohio, in order to find out the best practices for reopening childcare. We're working to become a nationwide leader in the study of childcare during this pandemic.
2:36 PM: Amy Acton stops speaking
2:36 PM: Question Period Begins
Regarding childcare and with the possibility of further illness and death in children with COVID-19, is it possible we are gambling the lives of our children by reopening and doing this study?
Amy Acton: I don't think we're gambling by doing this. Everyone is important and deserves protection. We are going to do this based on expert advice on best practices. We need to give parents a chance to go back to work and prosper. We know of the cases of children getting far sicker and we're paying close attention to this. COVID-19 has an exaggerated response on our immune system no matter the age, but we want to make sure to learn and understand how it affects children, as well, as time goes on.
2:39 PM: There are concerns that children are not receiving the education they would have otherwise. Will schools be capable of reopening in the fall and what can you do to ensure they are receiving the education they need if they do not?
Governor: I think this is a major concern. Many teachers are making strides in distance learning but some kids don't have internet or have other issues. The fact that we know so little about COVID-19 makes us feel that schools cannot reopen any time soon but every school is currently looking into ways they can reopen. We still don't know how things will be by the fall but we will do everything we can.
2:42 PM: It sounds like many childcare centers will have to turn families away. How do you plan on advising them on that subject?
Governor: I think it's going to be difficult for any of us to predict how the market will change with these new rules. We are giving money to childcare providers in order to ensure they are capable of reopening. This is a work in progress, which means that we're still learning and finding out new ways to lessen the spread of COVID-19, while reopening childcare.
Childcare providers may have to hire more employees in order to serve the families they had in the past. Unfortunately, some may not be capable of reopening due to financial troubles. We did all of these things in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will keep making these decisions with that in mind.
2:46 PM: It seems that cases, deaths, and other metrics have plateaued rather than gone down. What has changed in how you perceive success as time has gone on?
Governor: We've seen a plateau over three weeks in terms of all of our metrics. We were most worried about a large surge. We're still ramping up our testing. We're doing 8,000 tests every day sat this point. We need to keep our testing capacity increasing while also ensuring our supply chain can keep getting those tests out to those who need them. Testing and contact tracing is how we're going to keep this virus from spreading. There are many other indicators, such as traffic rates throughout the state, that we are looking at in order to make future decisions regarding mitigations.
2:48 PM: Reddit is freaking out and it’s causing some problems with my updates. Fixed as of 2:50 PM.
Amy Acton: No one on our team is ignoring the concern and worry that Ohioans are feeling right now. As we go on, you need to keep in mind how at risk you are and use that knowledge to make your decisions and keep yourself safe.
2:51 PM: Using what we've learned about antibody testing, how do we know that we didn't have a surge earlier?
Amy Acton: This is a process that will take years. We won't understand COVID-19 for quite some time. Many have been claiming that they had many symptoms of COVID-19 early on in the knowledge of the disease. Obviously, as time goes on, hindsight will be 20-20. We'll keep looking into new information as it comes out.
2:54 PM: The most prevalent question I've received is regarding the unemployment system not serving Ohioans properly. I know you've made improvements but many feel it is not enough. What more can you do for them?
Lieutenant Governor: This is the thing I've been most frustrated for Ohioans about personally. Director Kim Hall has been working to do everything her team can do to improve the system and has already created the new system for 1099 employees. I know that around 100,000 people have not been served yet and many others have not been able to get through to receive more information on their claims. We're all doing everything we can to expand the system as possible. Our system is very old and difficult to update but many other states are facing these same issues. Unfortunately, we have received many fraudulent claims and those need to be policed and denied. This is part of what leads to such delays.
2:59 PM: What targets will state agencies be hitting in terms of reductions in the coming fiscal year?
Governor: We'll be discussing that with the legislature. We've already made very tough cuts but we don't have any new information available at this time. One thing I can say is that this is a very difficult time. Costs are going up and our revenues are decreasing dramatically.
3:01 PM: Do you have an idea of how many families might be left out of day cares? Will licensing become more flexible? What about using school facilities?
Governor: It's not our goal to have any families left out of the system. We're doing surveys on how many providers will be coming back. We'll adjust as necessary. We can't make any definitive statements at this time.
Lieutenant Governor: Please remember that we're working on supporting the childcare industry to ensure that all of this can work.
3:03 PM: Are you going to remove Dr. Acton's order that closed school facilities until June in order to allow youth sports to reopen?
Governor: We were actually just discussing that earlier. It's a very good point. We're still looking into that.
Lieutenant Governor: Grounds are not technically closed by the order, only buildings. We will not be forcing any local community to reopen. I am sure that as we go on, there will be things that slipped through the cracks and we want to ensure that the lines of communication are open as much as possible.
3:06 PM: Are you concerned about a pending legal battle over your orders? As you know, Wisconsin's stay at home order was struck down by their Supreme court.
Governor: I have already been sued a lot. We want to ensure that our orders conform more to what we are seeing day to day. We are seeing stories from Europe about second waves and we really don't want to have to see that in Ohio. We need to be very careful as everything opens up. Staying safe in this crucial time will decide our future numbers and whether we have to close again.
3:08 PM: There is a feeling that your Minority Health Task Force hasn't made any new statements or released more information. What is going on with this?
Governor: I will be talking about that either Monday or Tuesday. This virus has pulled back the curtain on poverty and racial issues, especially in regards to health care access. We've worked with the legislature to look into issues of infant and maternal mortality and we saw these issues already. We're now going to have to figure out new ways to help African American communities in Ohio. That will come next week.
3:11 PM: Why are we not hearing more about treatment? Also will we not be returning to normal life until a vaccine comes out? Is Hydroxychloroquine being given out to patients?
Amy Acton: I talked a lot about treatment early on but I can talk about it more in the future. We've received shipments of new drugs for use against COVID-19. There is still developing information on drugs like Hydroxychloroquine, in terms of its affect on COVID-19. For now we'll have to treat the symptoms up until we can find a cure, if we can find a cure. The thing that worries me the most is the low oxygen levels found in those with COVID-19, who are walking around, not even realizing it.
3:16 PM: How can you prove to those who are trusting in your orders that reopening as we are is safe?
Amy Acton: When we first made our orders, we were using information from George Bush's administration, that we believed would best protect Ohioans. We do know that this has had effects on the economy and even people's mental and physical health. This is going to be a collaborative process but it needs to go on with caution. The biggest thing that will slow and stop the spread of disease will be how everyone lives. Be judicious with your choices and decisions as time goes on.
3:19 PM: How do you plan on bringing forward gun reforms in Ohio that you promised, despite the pandemic?
Governor: That's a continuing discussion with the legislature.
3:21 PM: There's been information in certain nursing home facilities regarding the zone and region system you've mentioned that showed that some of them have no information regarding that system. What do you think about that?
Governor: This is not something that should be happening. I believe you that this is happening but it's something that I do not want to have happening. I don't know what facility you're talking about but I think we're going to keep moving forward on that.
Amy Acton: I'll look into this and speak to our leaders in that area regarding improving this.
3:24 PM: Are we getting close to returning to normal regarding surgeries?
Governor: It's been in the past week or so that we've released new orders regarding that. We need to keep monitoring our hospital capacity as time goes on in order to decide if we can return to normal
3:25 PM: Question Period Ends
3:25 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Thank you to all of our childcare workers and everyone else returning to work.
We'll be playing a rendition of Amazing Grace by the Combined Pinkerton North and Pinkerton Central Marching Bands.
No more updates until Monday unless it's absolutely necessary.
3:27 PM: The Stream Ended.

Previous streams can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCporaXCeaOJgZKz7y3C0zbg
Thank you for all the awards and other offers but please save your money for the future economic uncertainty which is likely going to occur.
Ohio: 24,800 confirmed cases (with 1,557 extra probable cases), 1,388/24,800 confirmed deaths (with 146 extra probable deaths), 4,718 hospitalizations, 1,268/4,718 in the ICU
United States: 1,397,700 confirmed cases and 84,109 deaths.
Here is a link to a google drive that shows the history of cases and deaths created by kcmasterpiece347: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CNGX6aLGsyIWZctChwsQ-UdRQ8JEzhuS9I_1oVnkb4s/edit?usp=sharing
0110010001100010 has put together information on the latest and most accurate numbers here: http://covid19.danoniot.com/
Here are some graphs showing the latest information created by st1tchy:
4/7: https://imgur.com/BX95vIU
4/8: https://imgur.com/OdP8nFu
4/9: https://imgur.com/bXtPvZI
4/12: https://imgur.com/Zu2G5Dp
4/13: https://imgur.com/VqYuLzP
4/14: https://imgur.com/KD43gKy
4/15: https://imgur.com/JHwcrsJ
4/16: https://imgur.com/dNCPrZr
4/17: https://imgur.com/rzkZwuJ
4/18: https://imgur.com/4FFkKHn
4/19: https://imgur.com/bMEGH0e
4/20: https://imgur.com/a/vvOfaD6
4/21: https://imgur.com/QJXKMfx
4/22: https://imgur.com/dBSow4z
4/23: https://imgur.com/Ea7GULT
4/24: https://imgur.com/MQTZWku
4/27: https://imgur.com/UeHhlve
4/28: https://imgur.com/IPt12zi
4/29: https://imgur.com/zdVKLQA
4/30: https://imgur.com/dCeij16
5/01: https://imgur.com/bIPUbzw
5/04: https://imgur.com/G28UoY3
5/06: https://imgur.com/VitMOFA
2:03 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Today I'm wearing a tie from Case Western Reserve University
This week is Police Week. I want to thank everyone in law enforcement. Unfortunately, many events honoring our fallen police officers have had to be canceled due to COVID-19. I would like to take a moment to mention those who have died serving Ohio in 2020. Let's have a moment of silence in remembrance of their sacrifice and the sacrifices of those currently serving Ohio.
A close friend of mine, Dwight Radcliff died on May 6th. Fran and I attended his funeral. He was the longest serving sheriff at the time of his retirement in 2013.
Former state representative Andy Thompson also unexpectedly yesterday. He served the state well.
On Tuesday, I talked about childcare and explained the concerns we had. We've been discussing this for weeks, trying to figure out what the best practices for reopening would be. There really is not enough data about children and COVID-19. We want to get more data and find a way to reopen safely, in a way that protects children and childcare employees. if we do this wrong we will run the risk of exposing more Ohioans to COVID-19. Childcare providers will be allowed to reopen on May 31st. This will look different from before and I am going to have Joni Close, President of the Sisters of Charity Foundation speak about the changes we plan to make.
2:12 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:12 PM: Joni Close begins speaking
Maximum of 9 per classroom for most children, with toddlers having a maximum of 6 per classroom. Hygienic standards will be increased dramatically. These will be only some of the changes and there will be more. Some of these might make you somewhat uncomfortable due to it being different but we believe it will be the best for you and your children.
2:16 PM: Joni Close stops speaking
2:16 PM: The Governor begins speaking
There's really no playbook out there for doing this. We need to be cautious to keep everyone safe during this pandemic. We will be constantly monitoring the current situation and we may make changes as necessary based on what we see.
We're going to perform a study into the childcare situation as it reopens. This will make Ohio a leader in the country, as we will be capable of learning more about how the virus spreads. Unfortunately, there is a lot of what we don't know and that will affect how we proceed. Childcare providers will need help due to our changes. We are going to give 60 million dollars to Ohio childcare providers, both public and private, in order to ensure they are properly funded. We will have additional information available online shortly.
2:19 PM: The Governor stops speaking
2:19 PM: The Lieutenant Governor starts speaking
May is a new chapter in our response to COVID-19. We're trying to keep a balance between health of Ohioans and the health of our economy. Some more businesses may be reopening but keep in mind that it will be up to the local health departments to control what reopens and what does not.
Day Camps will reopen on May 31st. The protocols governing day camps will be released tomorrow online.
BMVs will reopen on May 26th. We want you to use the online services, as we've put a lot of effort into moving many services there. There will be some cases where you have to go into the BMV but only go as absolutely necessary. There is still an extension on renewals, so you do not have to do this immediately.
Campgrounds will also open completely, on May 21st. They will have to meet certain requirements that are currently available online.
Gyms and fitness center may reopen on May 26th. The new protocols for them will be available later today. Non contact and limited sports will also reopen on May 26th. Other, more contact-oriented sports will be investigated for reopening as well.
Pools will also be able reopen on May 26th. The CDC has found no evidence of the spread of COVID-19 in water. Water parks and amusement parks will not be reopening based on our guidance.
Horse racing can reopen on May 22nd but spectators will be prohibited. This does not mean that Casinos or Racinos can reopen.
2:30 PM: The Lieutenant Governor stops speaking
2:30 PM: Amy Acton starts speaking
231,795 tested in total. Of those infected, 4,121 were health care workers.
We're digging deep into the policies related to childcare and how it will affect the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank our entire childcare team. We're going to be working with a national study, that will have a large focus on Ohio, in order to find out the best practices for reopening childcare. We're working to become a nationwide leader in the study of childcare during this pandemic.
2:36 PM: Amy Acton stops speaking
2:36 PM: Question Period Begins
Regarding childcare and with the possibility of further illness and death in children with COVID-19, is it possible we are gambling the lives of our children by reopening and doing this study?
Amy Acton: I don't think we're gambling by doing this. Everyone is important and deserves protection. We are going to do this based on expert advice on best practices. We need to give parents a chance to go back to work and prosper. We know of the cases of children getting far sicker and we're paying close attention to this. COVID-19 has an exaggerated response on our immune system no matter the age, but we want to make sure to learn and understand how it affects children, as well, as time goes on.
2:39 PM: There are concerns that children are not receiving the education they would have otherwise. Will schools be capable of reopening in the fall and what can you do to ensure they are receiving the education they need if they do not?
Governor: I think this is a major concern. Many teachers are making strides in distance learning but some kids don't have internet or have other issues. The fact that we know so little about COVID-19 makes us feel that schools cannot reopen any time soon but every school is currently looking into ways they can reopen. We still don't know how things will be by the fall but we will do everything we can.
2:42 PM: It sounds like many childcare centers will have to turn families away. How do you plan on advising them on that subject?
Governor: I think it's going to be difficult for any of us to predict how the market will change with these new rules. We are giving money to childcare providers in order to ensure they are capable of reopening. This is a work in progress, which means that we're still learning and finding out new ways to lessen the spread of COVID-19, while reopening childcare.
Childcare providers may have to hire more employees in order to serve the families they had in the past. Unfortunately, some may not be capable of reopening due to financial troubles. We did all of these things in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will keep making these decisions with that in mind.
2:46 PM: It seems that cases, deaths, and other metrics have plateaued rather than gone down. What has changed in how you perceive success as time has gone on?
Governor: We've seen a plateau over three weeks in terms of all of our metrics. We were most worried about a large surge. We're still ramping up our testing. We're doing 8,000 tests every day sat this point. We need to keep our testing capacity increasing while also ensuring our supply chain can keep getting those tests out to those who need them. Testing and contact tracing is how we're going to keep this virus from spreading. There are many other indicators, such as traffic rates throughout the state, that we are looking at in order to make future decisions regarding mitigations.
2:48 PM: Reddit is freaking out and it’s causing some problems with my updates. Fixed as of 2:50 PM.
Amy Acton: No one on our team is ignoring the concern and worry that Ohioans are feeling right now. As we go on, you need to keep in mind how at risk you are and use that knowledge to make your decisions and keep yourself safe.
2:51 PM: Using what we've learned about antibody testing, how do we know that we didn't have a surge earlier?
Amy Acton: This is a process that will take years. We won't understand COVID-19 for quite some time. Many have been claiming that they had many symptoms of COVID-19 early on in the knowledge of the disease. Obviously, as time goes on, hindsight will be 20-20. We'll keep looking into new information as it comes out.
2:54 PM: The most prevalent question I've received is regarding the unemployment system not serving Ohioans properly. I know you've made improvements but many feel it is not enough. What more can you do for them?
Lieutenant Governor: This is the thing I've been most frustrated for Ohioans about personally. Director Kim Hall has been working to do everything her team can do to improve the system and has already created the new system for 1099 employees. I know that around 100,000 people have not been served yet and many others have not been able to get through to receive more information on their claims. We're all doing everything we can to expand the system as possible. Our system is very old and difficult to update but many other states are facing these same issues. Unfortunately, we have received many fraudulent claims and those need to be policed and denied. This is part of what leads to such delays.
2:59 PM: What targets will state agencies be hitting in terms of reductions in the coming fiscal year?
Governor: We'll be discussing that with the legislature. We've already made very tough cuts but we don't have any new information available at this time. One thing I can say is that this is a very difficult time. Costs are going up and our revenues are decreasing dramatically.
3:01 PM: Do you have an idea of how many families might be left out of day cares? Will licensing become more flexible? What about using school facilities?
Governor: It's not our goal to have any families left out of the system. We're doing surveys on how many providers will be coming back. We'll adjust as necessary. We can't make any definitive statements at this time.
Lieutenant Governor: Please remember that we're working on supporting the childcare industry to ensure that all of this can work.
3:03 PM: Are you going to remove Dr. Acton's order that closed school facilities until June in order to allow youth sports to reopen?
Governor: We were actually just discussing that earlier. It's a very good point. We're still looking into that.
Lieutenant Governor: Grounds are not technically closed by the order, only buildings. We will not be forcing any local community to reopen. I am sure that as we go on, there will be things that slipped through the cracks and we want to ensure that the lines of communication are open as much as possible.
3:06 PM: Are you concerned about a pending legal battle over your orders? As you know, Wisconsin's stay at home order was struck down by their Supreme court.
Governor: I have already been sued a lot. We want to ensure that our orders conform more to what we are seeing day to day. We are seeing stories from Europe about second waves and we really don't want to have to see that in Ohio. We need to be very careful as everything opens up. Staying safe in this crucial time will decide our future numbers and whether we have to close again.
3:08 PM: There is a feeling that your Minority Health Task Force hasn't made any new statements or released more information. What is going on with this?
Governor: I will be talking about that either Monday or Tuesday. This virus has pulled back the curtain on poverty and racial issues, especially in regards to health care access. We've worked with the legislature to look into issues of infant and maternal mortality and we saw these issues already. We're now going to have to figure out new ways to help African American communities in Ohio. That will come next week.
3:11 PM: Why are we not hearing more about treatment? Also will we not be returning to normal life until a vaccine comes out? Is Hydroxychloroquine being given out to patients?
Amy Acton: I talked a lot about treatment early on but I can talk about it more in the future. We've received shipments of new drugs for use against COVID-19. There is still developing information on drugs like Hydroxychloroquine, in terms of its affect on COVID-19. For now we'll have to treat the symptoms up until we can find a cure, if we can find a cure. The thing that worries me the most is the low oxygen levels found in those with COVID-19, who are walking around, not even realizing it.
3:16 PM: How can you prove to those who are trusting in your orders that reopening as we are is safe?
Amy Acton: When we first made our orders, we were using information from George Bush's administration, that we believed would best protect Ohioans. We do know that this has had effects on the economy and even people's mental and physical health. This is going to be a collaborative process but it needs to go on with caution. The biggest thing that will slow and stop the spread of disease will be how everyone lives. Be judicious with your choices and decisions as time goes on.
3:19 PM: How do you plan on bringing forward gun reforms in Ohio that you promised, despite the pandemic?
Governor: That's a continuing discussion with the legislature.
3:21 PM: There's been information in certain nursing home facilities regarding the zone and region system you've mentioned that showed that some of them have no information regarding that system. What do you think about that?
Governor: This is not something that should be happening. I believe you that this is happening but it's something that I do not want to have happening. I don't know what facility you're talking about but I think we're going to keep moving forward on that.
Amy Acton: I'll look into this and speak to our leaders in that area regarding improving this.
3:24 PM: Are we getting close to returning to normal regarding surgeries?
Governor: It's been in the past week or so that we've released new orders regarding that. We need to keep monitoring our hospital capacity as time goes on in order to decide if we can return to normal
3:25 PM: Question Period Ends
3:25 PM: The Governor begins speaking
Thank you to all of our childcare workers and everyone else returning to work.
We'll be playing a rendition of Amazing Grace by the Combined Pinkerton North and Pinkerton Central Marching Bands.
No more updates until Monday unless it's absolutely necessary.
3:27 PM: The Stream Ended.