Ohio Governor Regrets Legalizing Sports Betting After Betting-Linked Probes
Gov. Mike DeWine now says he regrets signing Ohio’s sports-betting law.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Ohio’s governor, who approved the state’s sweeping sports-betting legislation in 2021, told reporters last week he now “absolutely” wishes he had not legalized the market. DeWine’s change of heart comes amid criminal probes tied to betting involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers and an Ohio-born guard for the Miami Heat, cases that have thrust the risks of micro-betting into the spotlight.
DeWine warned that the legalized framework gave powerful gambling companies unprecedented ability to market and multiply wagering opportunities. “Look, we’ve always had gambling, we’re always going to have gambling”, he said. “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.”
The governor helped broker a high-profile agreement between Major League Baseball and its authorized sportsbooks that caps prop bets on individual pitches at $200 and bars those small, in-play wagers from parlays. The change followed indictments of Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase – both of whom have pleaded not guilty – accused of manipulating pitches in coordination with gamblers.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred praised DeWine’s intervention, saying the governor “really did a huge service, I think – to us, certainly”. Manfred framed the baseball agreement as a necessary step to protect the game’s integrity and to reduce avenues for wrongdoing that micro- or in-play prop markets can create.
Ohio’s law, pushed through the legislature and signed by DeWine in 2021, opened online and retail sports wagering to adults 21 and older across casinos, racinos, bars and other venues. Wagers were allowed on professional and college sports, Olympic events, golf, tennis and motorsports. The law took effect in 2023, and the U.S. sports-betting market this year is forecast to generate more than $11 billion in revenue.
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Industry Influence and What Comes Next
DeWine’s reversal has revived questions about how the measure passed and the role of the gambling industry in Ohio politics. An Associated Press review found casino operators, slot makers, gaming tech firms and sports interests funneled nearly $1 million in 2021–22 to the Republican Governors Association, which supported committees backing the governor. Industry-connected donors and lobbyists also gave directly to state campaigns.
Lobbyists and political-action committees representing DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, MGM, and other gaming firms have continued to contribute to Ohio lawmakers. Republican House Finance Chairman Brian Stewart has defended prop markets, saying they are a significant element of the state’s betting activity and popular with bettors.
Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Matt Schuler said the baseball agreement shows coordinated action is possible. “He’s using the bully pulpit, and he’s able to connect with the right people in that way”, Schuler said. “No one thought that everyone could get on the same page, but now they did because everyone realizes the risk. The bets are small, but the risk is big.”
DeWine has pursued narrower changes already: he persuaded the commission to remove collegiate prop bets after raising concerns with NCAA President Charlie Baker, and he continues urging other leagues and unions to accept limits similar to baseball’s. Still, DeWine acknowledged that a full repeal of Ohio’s sports-betting law is politically unrealistic. “There’s not the votes for that”, he said.
As the industry and regulators digest the baseball deal, the debate is shifting toward whether voluntary, league-led restrictions can outpace or replace state-by-state regulation. For now, Ohio’s governor is using his platform to press for national commitments from leagues, players’ unions and sportsbooks – while acknowledging the practical and political limits of rolling back legalization after it has taken hold.
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