Ohio Representatives Riordan McClain, Gary Click and Johnathan Newman have introduced House Bill 971, also known as the Save Ohio Sports Act, for the purpose of banning online sports wagering and proposing new changes to the state’s betting market.
McClain, Click and Newman originally began preparing two pieces of legislation aimed at imposing new “guardrails” on sports wagering in Ohio during April, following concerns around gambling addiction, financial harm and the integrity of sporting contests.
“Monetizing addiction to fund public education is the wrong direction for Ohio,” Newman said.
“Who wins when predatory gambling preys on the vulnerable? It’s not our schools… It’s the trillion-dollar big gambling companies who win. How is this good for Ohio?”
Under the Save Ohio Sports Act, retail wagering would still be available to Ohio bettors, but only at licensed retail casino properties. The measure also imposes a ban on credit card deposits in Ohio, which has already been prohibited by operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel.
A statewide ban on propositional wagering and live betting markets is also included within HB 971, as well as language which prohibits parlay wagers and sets maximums of $100 per wager and eight bets in a 24-hour period.
Sports betting advertisements would be prohibited from appearing within athletic venues or on broadcasts during live sporting events, while the Save Ohio Sports Act also bans betting markets on college sports and events.
At the time of writing, the legislation has yet to be assigned to an Ohio House Committee for discussion, debate and an eventual vote on the matter.
If HB 971 is enacted by Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio would represent the first state to repeal online sports betting since the overturning of PASPA.
Kalshi filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Casino Control Commission on June 30, following the regulator’s proposal for a $5m fine to be issued for conducting business without an approved license
