• Ohio’s governor says he regrets signing the state’s 2021 sports betting law
• Mike DeWine is leading an effort to eliminate player props from professional and college sports

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed the state’s sports betting bill into law in December 2021. With nearly four years of hindsight, the Republican says he regrets the decision.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he regrets signing the state’s sports betting law. In hindsight, the Republican thinks the state would be better off without sports gambling. (Image: Governor Mike DeWine)

House Bill 29 authorized mobile and retail sportsbooks within the Buckeye State. The law paved the way for the state’s casinos and racinos to partner with sportsbooks to conduct both in-person and internet bets. The statute also allowed restaurants and bars to offer in-person sports betting kiosks through the Ohio Lottery.

Since going operational in January 2023, Ohio’s sports betting market has become one of the richest in the nation. More than $23.3 billion has been risked legally on sports, with oddsmakers keeping over $2.5 billion of the bets. Though the emerging gaming industry has generated almost half a billion in tax revenue, DeWine has regrets about lending his support to sports gambling.

DeWine Misgivings

During a recent interview with the Associated Press discussing the MLB sports betting scandal involving pitchers with the Cleveland Guardians, DeWine revealed that he underestimated how many marketing dollars sportsbooks would spend to bring sports gambling mainstream.

“We’ve always had gambling, but the power of these companies and the deep, deep, deep pockets they have to advertise and do everything they can to get someone to place that bet is really different once you have legalization,” DeWine said.

Ohio absolutely shouldn’t have done [sports betting],” DeWine declared.

With eight professional sports teams and a college sports-obsessed demographic, paired with the seventh-largest population, the major sportsbook operators pounced at the Ohio opportunity when DeWine formally opened it almost four years ago. The sportsbooks spent many millions of dollars securing market share, with today the market leaders being FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook. 

Sports Betting Reforms 

DeWine, along with NCAA boss Charlie Baker, has been at the forefront of trying to rid player props, both professionally and collegiately, from sportsbooks.

Player props typically depend on the outcome of a single player’s performance. Critics say props jeopardize the integrity of sports, as a single compromised player can weigh heavily on a game’s outcome.

Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are accused of throwing certain pitches to appease rogue bettors in exchange for financial bribes. In the NBA, star Terry Rozier is accused of faking injuries and throwing games, again for the benefit of outside influences.

In the wake of the Guardians’ scandal, the MLB and legal sportsbooks earlier this month agreed to eliminate certain player props.

“I commend Commissioner Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball, and its partners for taking this action to address the problem of micro-prop bets. By limiting the ability to place large wagers on micro-prop bets, Major League Baseball is taking affirmative steps to protect the integrity of the game and reduce the incentives to participate in improper betting schemes,” said DeWine. “I urge other sports leagues to follow Major League Baseball’s example with similar action.”

The post Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine Whines About Sports Betting, Regrets Signing State Law appeared first on Casino.org.