Will Ohio Backtrack on Mobile Sports Betting?

In what could be a first in the U.S., the Ohio State Legislature is considering the possibility of backtracking on mobile sports betting. Of the other 40 or so states that have legalized such activities, none has yet considered legislating against such activities until now.

Two bills were introduced last week in the Ohio House of Representatives. The bills in question were introduced by Reps. Riordan McClain, Gary Click, and Johnathan Newman. The package of bills is being called the "Save Ohio Sports Act." This legislation intends to transform the Ohio sports betting environment into something that could be more manageable.

What Sports Betting Would Look Like in Ohio

If these two bills were to pass, it would drastically change the way Ohio residents bet on sports. Here is how each of the two bills would change things:

Bill #1 = Would eliminate the following types of sports wagers:

• Proposition bets, specifically certain types of in-game wagers


• Wagers on college sports


• All other forms of live in-game wagering


• Multiple team parlays

Clearly, these would be earth-shaking changes to Ohio's sports betting landscape. It's hard to imagine sports betting in America, where betting on college football or basketball is prohibited.

Bill #2 = The second bill seeks to eliminate all forms of mobile sports betting. That would limit the state's sports bettors to in-person wagering at one of the state's four licensed land-based casinos.

Furthermore, a $100 wagering limit would be placed on sports bets with a cap of eight bets allowed per day. Under this wagering format, bettors would not be allowed to use credit cards to fund their accounts. Also, sportsbooks would be prohibited from advertising in sports venues or during televised sports events. Finally, sportsbooks would no longer be allowed to entice new customers with promotional signup deals.

Why Such a Drastic Change of Heart?

When Governor Mike DeWine signed the state's sports betting legislation in 2021, hopes were high that tax revenue would be high and problems few. Just a few short years later, he expressed regret about signing the bill into law. What moved the sentiment? It could have been a recent study that showed American sports bettors could be giving up close to a trillion dollars in losses by 2030.

There are also growing concerns about scandals that have been popping up, scandals involving athletes. A recent sports-betting-related scandal involved Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who were indicted in late 2025 on charges related to fixing game action for profit. Other scandals have appeared.

What's Next?

At this point, lawmakers are debating the tradeoff related to losing tax revenue for a more secure sports betting environment.

It's not clear if either of these bills has enough support to advance out of committee. However, there will be online sports bettors paying attention to the process and how it will affect their sports betting activities in the future.