A group of Ohio House Republicans introduced the "Save Ohio Sports Act" on Wednesday, a two-part legislative package that would gut the state's sports betting industry. The bills propose banning online wagering entirely, eliminating parlays, prop bets, and in-game wagers, and shutting down all college sports betting.
What Triggered This?
The legislation comes in the wake of a match-fixing scandal involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz. Federal prosecutors charged both players with rigging pitches in coordination with bettors in the Dominican Republic, generating roughly $357,372 in fraudulent wagers over two years — all through micro-prop bets, the exact bet type the new legislation targets.
Problem gambling numbers added fuel to the fire. Ohio's Problem Gambling Helpline saw calls jump from 6,835 in 2022 to 10,637 in 2023. State data shows 2.8% of adults — approximately 254,729 Ohioans — now qualify as problem gamblers, with screening data indicating a 25-30% increase in gambling addiction concerns since online sports betting launched.
The Proposed Restrictions
The first bill would cap individual bets at $100 with a maximum of 8 wagers per 24-hour period, ban credit card payments, and restrict all operations to Ohio's four commercial casinos — eliminating sportsbooks at seven racino facilities and killing the Ohio Lottery's UBetOhio operations at restaurants and bars.
The second bill takes aim at specific bet types: no more proposition bets, no parlays, no in-game betting, no college sports wagering, no promotional incentives, and no advertisements during live broadcasts.
Will It Actually Pass?
The political landscape is complicated. Governor DeWine has expressed opposition to sports betting but disagrees with portions of this legislation. GOP colleagues show mixed reactions, and public backlash has been significant — the sponsors received "hundreds of angry responses" from constituents calling it government overreach.
Here's the practical problem: online wagering accounted for 98.2% of Ohio's $767.87 million monthly handle in September 2025. Pushing everything back to retail would decimate the industry. Representative McClain acknowledged the enforcement challenge, comparing it to regulating social media or online content.
Legislative leaders appear to favor targeted restrictions — credit card payment bans and advertising regulations — rather than the nuclear option these bills represent. For now, this reads more as a political statement than a probable law.
