Ohio Bill Would Ban Online Sports Betting

Key Highlights:

Ohio is moving forward with a bill that could dramatically alter the state’s sports betting landscape. If passed, the legislation would ban online and mobile wagering, while also restricting the types of bets players can make at casinos.

Ohio Lawmakers File Sports Betting Ban

Ohio State Representatives Johnathan Newman (R-Troy) and Beth Lear (R-Galena) on July 1 filed HB 971, also called the “Save Ohio Sports Act.” The GOP lawmakers proposed the sweeping changes in April, but the bill’s formal introduction moves it into the legislative process, making an online sports betting ban one step closer to reality.

If approved, Ohio residents would no longer be able to place bets at online sportsbooks. Regulated wagering would also be limited to in-person bets at state casinos. That would mark a major reversal for a state that launched legal sports betting in January 2023.

While the bill has yet to have been assigned to a committee, its introduction highlights the growing concern some lawmakers have about the societal impact of online sports betting.

Bill Targets Popular Bet Types & Promotions

The proposal goes beyond banning mobile sportsbooks. It would also prohibit live betting, in-play betting, parlays, college sports betting, and player proposition bets.

HB 971 would also create betting limits for customers. Individual wagers would be capped at $100, and players would be limited to eight bets within a 24-hour period. The measure would also block bettors from using credit cards or borrowed funds to place wagers.

Advertising would face new limits as well. The bill includes a call to restrict promotions during live professional sports broadcasts and inside sports venues, reducing the visibility of sportsbook marketing around games and teams.

Supporters of the proposal have framed the bill as a response to gambling-related harm, especially concerns around addiction and aggressive sportsbook advertising. The Center for Christian Virtue applauded the bill as a measure to protect Ohioans from “predatory gambling practices.”

Revenue Debate Could Shape Next Steps

While the bill has its supporters, there are others who believe a ban on online sports betting would raise major revenue questions for Ohio. Sports betting at Ohio online casinos and sportsbooks has brought in nearly $600 million in tax revenue since the industry launched in January 2023, and most of that money has come from online wagering.

That creates two major obstacles for the bill. The sports betting industry is expected to oppose the measure, and lawmakers will also have to weigh the loss of tax revenue tied to mobile sportsbooks.

Rep. Newman argued that the money isn’t worth the tradeoff: “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 that good for Ohio?”