Save Ohio Sports Act Would Ban Online Sports Betting, Cap Bets at $100

• Four Republican House of Representatives today announced the Save Ohio Sports Act
• The bill will prohibit online sports betting, limit sports betting to Ohio casinos, and cap individual bets at a $100 maximum amount
• The bill is supported by the Ohio Center for Christian Virtue

Several Republican House of Representatives members today announced details for the Save Ohio Sports Act, a forthcoming bill that will prohibit Ohio online sports betting, limit sports betting to land-based casinos, and cap maximum betting amounts at $100.

Reps. Riordan McClain (R-87), Gary Click (R-88), and Johnathan Newman (R-80) today introduced the bill on the steps of the Ohio Statehouse. The House Republicans were joined by members of the Center for Christian Virtue and a number of national responsible gaming advocates.

“Since legalized in 2023, sports betting in Ohio has rapidly expanded and dominates the entire sports landscape. As a fan it’s impossible to watch the games or even listen to sports content without being bombarded by advertisements or offers from gambling companies, particularly focused on the winning. The fact is that most bettors do not win. Regularly referenced stats show that only five percent of bettors are profitable, and those bettors that do win are quickly identified and often restricted by gambling companies. That means that roughly 95% of Ohioans who are betting make deposits, not withdrawals,” Riordan said during today’s press conference for the bill.

Online Sports Betting Ban

The most prohibitive piece of the bill is a complete ban of online sports betting in Ohio. According to a release on the legislation, if approved the bill will ban all online sports betting in Ohio, issue a ban on all prop bets, eliminate parlays, ban all in-game betting, and completely ban bets on collegiate wagering.

The Save Ohio Sports Act will also do the following:

• Limit all sports betting to Ohio’s four land-based casinos
• Restrict customers to a maximum of $100 per bet
• Only allow customers to place eight bets within a 24-hour period
• Eliminate the use of credit cards to place bets
• Ban companies from offering free bets or risk-free bets
• Ban all sports-betting advertisements during live broadcasts of professional sports and in professional sports venues

The full details or language of the bill has yet to be introduced to the public.

While the passage of the bill likely faces long odds, it represents a continued growing concern from political leaders regarding Ohio sports betting.

Governor Disconcerted with Ohio Sports Betting

Over the last year, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has publicly expressed his displeasure with the state’s legalized sports betting market. This past November, DeWine went as far as telling the AP he regrets signing a bill to legalize sports betting in the Buckeye State.

“Look, we’ve always had gambling, we’re always going to have gambling,” DeWine told The Associated Press in November 2025. “But just the power of these companies and the deep, deep, deep pockets they have to advertise and do everything they can to get someone to place that bet is really different once you have legalization of them.”

DeWine has also led a push to ban all prop bets in Ohio.

The Ohio governor pointed to micro prop-bets on highly controllable moments within a game that can be influenced by a single athlete as particularly troublesome.

“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.”