Ohio sports betting props could eventually be no more.
In his strongest stance yet, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called on the Ohio Casino Control Commission to remove prop bets from its list of legal bets.
Ohio would become the first state with legal online sports betting to ban all prop bets.
DeWine noted that his request came amid a gambling investigation into two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians. During the probe, the Guardian removed mentions of a sponsorship deal with Bet365 Sportsbook.
In addition to athlete malfeasance, prop bets carry corruption risks among sportsbook traders.
DeWine said he will need help enforcing a prop ban, which apparently doesn’t need legislative approval.
The governor will ask the commissioners and players’ unions of the major sports leagues to support his effort to ban prop betting “to ensure the integrity of their leagues.”
Earlier in July 2025, DeWine said he opposed online casino gambling in Ohio.
DeWine Proposes Crackdown on Ohio Props
DeWine highlighted “a particular problem” with so-called micro-bets.
Micro-bets are wagers on “highly specific events within games that are completely controlled by one player.”
The Guardians players are tied to an investigation into whether single pitches would be a ball or a strike.
“The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass. 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,’” DeWine said in a statement.
“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” he added. “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.”
Rather than a ban on micro-bets, such as a recent bill in New Jersey proposes, DeWine wants a total prop bet ban.
Ohio isn’t alone in prop bet criticism, as regulators in Massachusetts, for example, in September 2025 blasted so-called NFL cashbacks for TD scorer props.
Previous Criticism of Ohio Prop Bets
DeWine had previously spoken out against threats that began to emerge after Ohio’s sports gambling laws became effective in 2023.
Bettors issued threats against the University of Dayton Flyers basketball players.
Read more: Sports Betting Anger Issues – One in Five Gamblers Verbally Abuse Athletes
With support from the NCAA, Ohio enacted rules in February 2024 that removed collegiate prop bets from the list of legal bets that can be placed on apps such as DraftKings and FanDuel.
Under the enacted changes, bettors in Ohio cannot wager on individual college player statistics and achievements. For example, betting on a March Madness player to score more or less than a specific number of points in a game is prohibited.
Ohioans can still gamble on the overall outcomes and final scores of collegiate sports events.
The enacted rule changes did not affect professional sports contests.
Related: NCAA Gets In Bed With Gambling Industry, Health Group Warns
Related:
What’s Next for OH?
The Ohio Casino Control Commission hasn’t commented publicly on DeWine’s prop bet announcement.
The major pro sports leagues have also not commented publicly.
In May 2025, when DeWine sought a betting tax increase, Donald Trump Jr. publicly criticized the Republican governor. It’s possible Trump Jr. could again call out DeWine over Ohio sports betting policy.
DeWine didn’t give a timeline for new Ohio sports betting rules to ban props. Should Ohio regulators adopt rules for a prop prohibition, violations of the rules would result in operator fines.
On Twitter/X, many people responded with profanity to DeWine’s call for abolishing props. Some apparently angry bettors threatened DeWine with physical harm.
Sports gambling is a dangerous activity that can exacerbate mental health issues.
Related
Sports Betting Addiction Statistics
Ohio Is First With State-Specific Free Online Betting Therapy
Discover more from GamblingHarm.org
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
