Ohio Gaming Regulators Gathering Information Before Prop Ban Decision

• Gov. Mike DeWine formally requested a ban of prop bets in the Buckeye State
• The governor reached out to the Ohio Casino Control Commission with the request
• The commission will gather information before considering his proposal

The Ohio Casino Control Commission has heard Gov. Mike DeWine’s (R) request to prohibit prob bets in the Buckeye State, but will not make a decision before gathering necessary information.

Gov. DeWine yesterday officially requested a complete ban of prop bets in the Ohio sports betting market, calling for the Ohio Casino Control Commission to make the needed changes to the state’s sports betting market to protect athletes and the integrity of sporting event outcomes.

The commission will announce its next steps in the coming days.

Focusing on More Information

An Ohio Casino Control Commission spokesperson sent the following statement to Sports Betting Dime regarding Gov. DeWine’s request to prohibit prop betting in Ohio:

“The Ohio Casino Control Commission (the “Commission”) works closely with Governor DeWine’s Office and General Assembly in serving the citizens of Ohio and protecting the integrity of gaming in the State. To that end, staff is gathering information for the Commission to consider. The Commission will announce its next steps in the upcoming days.”

Gov. DeWine yesterday announced his intentions to ban prop betting market in Ohio.

“The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass. First, there were threats on Ohio athletes, and now two high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a ‘sports betting investigation,’” DeWine said. “The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm. The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly. I call on the Casino Control Commission to correct this problem and remove all prop bets from the Ohio marketplace.”

Sports Betting Investigations, Player Threats Were Tipping Points

Just this past month the Cleveland Guardians placed two separate pitchers on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of an MLB sports betting investigation.

The Guardians first placed starting pitcher Luis Ortiz on non-disciplinary paid leave on July 3, followed by all-star closer Emmanuel Clase being placed on non-disciplinary paid leave on July 28.

Both will remain on leave through Aug. 31.

A firm that monitors betting activity reported suspicious wagering on two separate pitches thrown by Ortiz during two games he started. No details have yet been released as to why Clase is now being included in the investigation.

The firm noted suspicious betting volumes on two separate pitches during his June 15 and June 27 starts against the Seattle Mariners and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively. Both were balls and thrown well outside the strike zone.

Gov. DeWine also criticized the increasing number of threats to athletes from sports betting customers. Ohio was one of the first states to completely prohibit college player prop bets in February 2024 after NCAA President Charlie Baker requested the ban.

Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Matt Schuler called for the prohibition in January 2023 after he became aware of several incidents of state bettors threatening members of the University of Dayton’s men’s basketball team. The official provision went into effect in July after it was included in finalized Ohio 2024-2025 fiscal year budget.