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TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Ohioans are on pace to gamble a state-record amount of money on sports this year since the legal industry came online in 2023.
Football season is one of the most popular times of year for sports gamblers. As the NFL season is set to begin, regulators are considering whether to place more restrictions on the bets Ohioans can place.
It’s another sport that may be to blame.
Gov. Mike DeWine called on the Ohio Casino Control Commission to ban player-specific prop bets following an investigation into suspicious betting activity possibly linked to Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.
Both players are on paid leave indefinitely as the investigations continue.
“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 in a statement on July 31. “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.”
Matthew Waters, the managing editor for Legal Sports Report, said Ohio has established itself as a leader in regulating the legal industry since it went live on Jan. 1, 2023.
While Ohio moved to ban prop bets on college athletes last year, Waters said a similar prop bet ban on professional athletes would be unprecedented. He said it would also lead the industry to take a financial hit.
“Prop bets and parlays are a huge part of what’s profitable for these sportsbooks,” Waters said. “Unfortunately, I think it would drive some people back to the illegal offshore sportsbooks where they can bet those things.”
The ball is now in the court of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, which is drafting language for a rule to respond to the governor’s request. Until the language is released for public comment, it’s unclear what specific bets could be outlawed.
“Are we looking at banning bets on single plays? Are we looking at banning bets on more than that? Maybe what happens in an inning or a half inning? Or are we potentially looking at banning live player props altogether? It’s an interesting question, and one that we’re not really going to have the answer to until we see that language,” Waters said.
There’s no timeline for when that language may be released.
Waters said Ohio has a reputation for doing things well in the regulated industry. He said it’s possible if the state moves to ban certain prop bets, others could follow suit.
“One thing about bringing gambling into a regulated space is that we’re bringing it into the light,” Waters said. “It’s not in the shadows of offshore sportsbooks anymore. We have companies that are able to track what’s going on with these bets. Unfortunately, we may not be done hearing about issues like this.
“It really will take one or two big names or teams or substantial events to have everybody throw their hands up and say, ‘Wait. Are we protecting the integrity of these games here?’ Ohio very well may be in front of the curve on that, but certainly the industry does not want it to see it go that way.”
Ohio regulators are considering Gov. Mike DeWine's request to ban prop bets in the state amid an investigation into Cleveland Guardians pitchers.
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