Ohio Regulator Moves Toward Sports Betting Credit Card Ban

COLUMBUS, Ohio: Ohio regulators are finalizing a draft rule that would ban credit card transactions for sportsbooks.

The proposal would add a new payment restriction to the state’s sports betting market as responsible gambling advocates raise concerns about wagering with borrowed funds.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission is working on the rule, but it still needs approval from the state’s Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review before taking effect.

Responsible Gambling Concerns Drive Rule

The proposal has drawn support from the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio. Executive Director Derek Longmeier said credit card betting conflicts with one of the basic low-risk gambling principles: only spending money a person already has.

Longmeier said tracking gambling spending is already difficult with more than a dozen sportsbooks operating online in Ohio. He said using a credit card moves gambling beyond available funds and can increase financial risk for bettors.

The issue has become more prominent since Ohio legalized sports betting. A 2022 survey found that one in five Ohioans were considered at least at-risk gamblers, and calls to the state’s problem gambling hotline increased significantly in 2023.

The credit card rule would not be the first payment restriction of its kind in the U.S. Illinois regulators also approved a ban on credit cards for gaming, while Tennessee is among other states that have restricted credit card betting transactions.

Lawmakers Also Sought Wider Reforms

The regulatory proposal follows separate efforts by several conservative Ohio lawmakers to reshape the state’s sports betting rules. Earlier this year, lawmakers backed by faith-based and mental health advocates proposed broader changes to the state’s sports wagering framework.

Those proposals included a ban on credit card use for sports betting. However, the bills are not expected to advance quickly in the current Legislature.

Sports betting had strong legislative support when it was legalized in 2021, with only 14 of 132 state lawmakers voting against the measure. Gov. Mike DeWine has since said signing the sports betting law was his “biggest mistake”.

A spokesperson for DeWine declined to comment on the Ohio Casino Control Commission rule.

Rule Still Needs Review

The draft rule still has to move through Ohio’s regulatory review process. The Common Sense Initiative reviews business impacts of proposed regulations, while the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review examines agency rules before they can take effect.

If approved, the rule would create a direct responsible gambling safeguard within Ohio’s sportsbook payment system. Supporters argue that banning credit card transactions would reduce the risk of bettors using debt to fund gambling activity.

For sportsbooks, the rule would add another compliance requirement in a market already facing close scrutiny over advertising, responsible gambling controls and consumer protection. For regulators, the proposal shows that payment methods are becoming a more active part of sports betting oversight.

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