- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is calling for a statewide ban on prop bets, citing threats to athletes and an ongoing MLB investigation involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Citing threats to athletes and the integrity of professional sports, Governor Mike DeWine issued a forceful statement Thursday calling for a complete ban on prop betting in Ohio.
“The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass,” DeWine said. “First, there were threats on Ohio athletes, and now two high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a ‘sports betting investigation.’”
Urging America’s top sports leagues to follow suit, the remarks follow MLB’s decision to place Cleveland Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase on paid leave through August amid an ongoing probe into suspicious legal sports betting activity involving specific pitches during June games.
Though neither player has been formally accused of wrongdoing, industry monitors flagged unusually large MLB bets on outcomes fully controlled by a single player.
“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” DeWine continued. “The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly. I call on the Casino Control Commission to correct this problem and remove all prop bets from the Ohio marketplace.”
Ohio Sports Betting With No Prop Bets
DeWine’s push would remove wagers on individual player performances, such as pitches thrown, shots made, or yards gained, from legal sportsbooks in Ohio. The governor also announced he plans to ask commissioners and players’ unions from all six major U.S. sports leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, and Major League Soccer) to back a national ban.
This latest move echoes earlier state action, as in 2024, Ohio banned college player props after a wave of harassment targeting student-athletes. These included threats and unsolicited payment requests tied to lost bets.
