Ohio Legislators Introduce Sports Betting Ban in State House

^{Incidents involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers prompted Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to seek a ban on player prop betting in the state. (Photo: Image of sport / Alamy)}

Two Ohio lawmakers are proposing a bill that would place significant restrictions on sports betting in the state, including a complete ban on online wagering.

The legislation, known as the Save Ohio Sports Act, was introduced by State Representatives Johnathan Newman (R-Troy) and Bether Lear (R-Galena) with the support of 10 Republicans in the state house.

‘How is this Good for Ohio?’ Asks State Rep

The bill introduced on June 29 proposes a wide range of new regulations for sports betting in Ohio. Most notably, it would completely eliminate mobile and online betting, meaning that bettors would only be able to get action in-person at land-based casinos in Ohio. It would ban player prop bets and in-play wagering, along with limiting bettors to single-game bets, eliminating parlays altogether. Individual wagers would be capped at $100, with a maximum of eight bets per customer per 24-hour period.

The bill would also eliminate college sports betting altogether and would prevent gambling ads from appearing in broadcasts of live sporting events or at the site of collegiate sporting events.

In a statement announcing the bill, its sponsors framed it as a way to protect consumers against gambling firms that they say are taking advantage of the state.

“Monetizing addiction to fund public education is the wrong direction for Ohio,” said State Rep. Johnathan Newman (R-Troy). “Who wins when predatory gambling preys on the vulnerable? It’s not our schools; that’s for sure! It’s the trillion-dollar big gambling companies who win. How is this good for Ohio?”

Anti-Betting Sentiment Grows in Ohio

In the announcement, the representatives who introduced the bill said their legislation would minimize gambling-related harm.

“Gambling is the number one addiction that leads to suicide,” said State Rep. Beth Lear (R-Galena). “Online gambling companies are in an aggressive pay-to-play game with the Ohio Legislature, hoping to expand their profits on the backs of Ohioans with the ‘carrot’ of providing extra tax money for the government. This legislation makes it clear: our kids, their physical and mental well-being, are not for sale.”

The legislation, formally designated as House Bill 971, has yet to be assigned to committee, and it’s unclear if it will have more significant support across the two houses of the Ohio legislature. But while no state has yet pulled back significantly after legalizing sports betting, Ohio has seen significant backlash to the industry over the last year.

Much of that was sparked by the suspension of two Cleveland Guardians pitchers for their roles in fixing individual pitches by intentionally throwing balls to help bettors win prop bets. That led Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to ask the Ohio Casino Control Commission to eliminate proposition bets on individual athletes at the professional level last year, after having already done so for college-level events in 2024. DeWine also came out against the idea of iGaming expansion in his state.