DeWine Reverses Stance on Sports Betting Law

The Governor’s Regret and the Growing Concerns Around Sports Betting

Columbus, Ohio — If Governor Mike DeWine could go back in time, he would not have signed the law that legalized sports betting in his state. The second-term Republican has expressed deep regret over this decision, especially after several high-profile cases involving athletes from Ohio being implicated in betting-related criminal investigations.

DeWine admitted that he now "absolutely" regrets legalizing sports betting in 2021. He emphasized that while gambling has always existed, the power of the companies involved, with their deep pockets and aggressive advertising strategies, is a new and dangerous factor.

“Look, we’ve always had gambling, we’re always going to have gambling,” DeWine told The Associated Press. “But just 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 of them.”

This sentiment reflects a broader reckoning happening across sports and politics as sports betting becomes more prevalent in the U.S. The industry's rapid growth has led to a wave of investigations and arrests related to allegations of rigged games, something DeWine believes lawmakers did not fully anticipate.

“Ohio shouldn’t have done it,” he said.

A New Approach to Prop Bets

DeWine recently played a pivotal role in negotiations between Major League Baseball (MLB) and its authorized gaming operators. This resulted in a deal that capped prop bets on individual pitches at $200 and excluded them from parlays. The agreement was announced shortly after two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, were indicted for allegedly rigging pitches at the behest of gamblers. Both have pleaded not guilty.

“Gov. DeWine really did a huge service, I think — to us, certainly, I can’t speak for any of the other sports — in terms of kind of bringing forward the need to do something in this area,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.

DeWine is not stopping there. After Ortiz and Clase were placed on paid leave earlier this summer, he announced plans to ask all major U.S. sports leagues to ban prop bets, also known as micro-betting. While this goal has yet to be achieved, DeWine sees the limits set for baseball as a positive first step.

“It needs to be holistic, it needs to be universal,” he said. “They’re just playing with fire. I mean, they are just asking for more and more trouble, their failure to address this.”

The Gambling Industry’s Influence on Ohio Politics

DeWine’s recent shift in stance comes after he initially supported the legalization of sports betting. The law allowed adults 21 and older to place bets online, at casinos, racinos, and even at bars and restaurants. Wagering was permitted on a wide range of sports, including college football.

The influence of the gambling industry on Ohio politics became evident during DeWine’s re-election campaign in 2022. An AP investigation found that entities tied to the industry donated nearly $1 million to the Republican Governors Association, which supported pro-DeWine committees. Additionally, industry-connected individuals and groups donated over $22,000 directly to DeWine’s campaign.

Recent campaign filings show that the industry continues to support Ohio politicians who have the power to shape the future of gaming. Lobbyists and PACs linked to companies like Jack Casino, DraftKings, FanDuel, and others have donated around $130,000 to state legislators in the past three years, with a significant portion going to top House and Senate leaders.

Some lawmakers, like Republican House Finance Chairman Brian Stewart, have pushed for protecting prop bets, arguing that they are a key part of sports betting in Ohio. However, DeWine and others now believe that a voluntary approach from leagues and players’ unions is better than state-by-state restrictions.

A Change of Heart

DeWine’s concerns about sports gambling began soon after the law took effect in 2023. His office received reports of gamblers threatening members of the University of Dayton basketball team. He reached out to NCAA President Charlie Baker, who shared his concerns and helped push for the removal of collegiate prop bets.

After the Guardians scandal emerged, DeWine approached MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred with the same idea. Although he would have preferred a complete ban on micro-prop bets, he was pleased with the compromise reached.

DeWine, who faces term limits next year, said he would be happy to sign a repeal of Ohio’s sports betting law but believes there is not enough support for such a move in the state legislature.

Instead, he will continue to advocate for changes in other ways, emphasizing the importance of protecting the integrity of sports.

“So, you try to do what you can do, and you try and warn people, and try to take action like we did with collegiate, and you try take action like what we’re doing with baseball,” he said. “But we’ve got to keep pushing these other sports to do it, too.”