I think Gov. Mike DeWine had good intentions when he issued a call last week for the Ohio Casino Control Commission to ban licensed Ohio sports betting operators from offering prop bets.
However, good intentions do not always lead to sound policy, and that’s the case here.
DeWine’s Request A Reaction To Investigation
DeWine issued his call after Major League Baseball placed a second Cleveland Guardians pitcher, closer Emmanuel Clase, on leave as part of an ongoing wagering investigation. Neither Clase nor teammate Luis Ortiz, both of whom are on paid leave until the end of this month, have been formally accused by the league.
“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm,” the governor said in a statement issued on July 31. “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.”
You can see where it might make sense from a layman’s perspective. However, there’s a problem with DeWine’s logic.
Regulated Market Led To Investigation
The reason an investigation in this Cleveland Guardians matter exists at all is because of the regulated sports betting markets that Ohio and more than three dozen other states have established. They are the watchdogs within the industry – and in this case, IC 360 (which is a licensed integrity monitor in Ohio), noticed the aberrant betting patterns that triggered MLB’s review.
Banning prop wagers at Ohio sports betting apps (or in-person locations or kiosks) won’t keep situations such as the Guardians investigation from happening again. Those prop markets, which are popular among bettors, would still be available in other states. Worse yet, those markets would also remain available through offshore and other unlicensed operators.
So the governor’s proposal would, at best, have very little impact. At worst, it could drive more business away from Ohio’s licensed sportsbooks. It also could lead to future incidents becoming harder to detect.
MLB players are aware, or at least they should be, with Rule 21. That rule lays out the penalties for betting on the game or conspiring with bettors to influence an outcome. While legalized betting has become more prevalent in Ohio and most of the United States, MLB rules have not changed. What has changed is that we now have a regulated industry to make it easier to identify potential violations.
Rules and punishments are meant to deter bad behavior. This incident is unfortunate, but this should serve as a wake-up call to other MLB players and professional athletes not to get involved with betting on their sport as long as they’re involved in it.
What’s Next For Ohio Prop Betting?
The ball is in the OCCC’s court. Under the rules that the Commission passed three years ago as it was preparing for the state’s launch on Jan. 1, 2023, the OCCC’s executive director can strike previously approved types of wagers from the state’s catalog, which is available for review under the website’s Event and Wager Catalogue online.
A message to the commission was not immediately returned.
While the OCCC could act on its own, any action to ban prop bets would carry greater weight if the leagues were to make that request. That was what happened in early 2024 when the NCAA requested a ban on prop bets involving college athletes. The commission approved the request, saying it found good cause to prohibit the wagers. In particular, the commission noted that college player prop bets accounted for less than 1.5% of the 2023 total handle.
Sources have told BetOhio that if a league – MLB in this instance – asks the commission for a ban and that request is approved, then such action would not be subject to a legislative review. That’s true even though Ohio has a “Common Sense Initiative” that allows lawmakers to determine if regulations negatively impact businesses.
This is also why DeWine, in his statement, said he would ask the commissioners of six major professional sports leagues in North America as well as the players’ unions for those leagues to support his effort.
However, sources have also told BetOhio that MLB is not likely to make such a request. A message to MLB was not immediately returned.
BetOhio will continue to monitor this ongoing story and provide updates.
USA Today Network photo by Sam Greene/The Enquirer
