Ohio Lawmakers Propose Major Rollback of Online Sports Gambling

Ohio Lawmakers Propose Major Rollback of Online Sports Gambling — Three Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation in Ohio to significantly restrict sports betting, proposing to limit it to physical casinos and disallow cellphone or credit card use for wagering. The proposed bill additionally includes prohibitions on prop bets and all college athletics betting.

What Happened

Three Republican lawmakers in Ohio have unveiled a legislative proposal aimed at a complete rollback of online and cellphone sports gambling, according to cleveland.com. This initiative seeks to permit sports betting exclusively within physical casinos, prohibiting both the use of mobile devices for placing bets and credit card payments for such activities.

The proposed legislation, currently in the Ohio House, encompasses additional restrictions, including a ban on “prop bets” related to in-game performance. Furthermore, the bill would prohibit all forms of sports betting on college athletics, as reported by cleveland.com.

Key Details

• Legislation would restrict sports betting to casinos only, according to cleveland.com.
• The bill proposes to bar the use of cellphones for placing bets, per cleveland.com.
• Credit card use for sports gambling payments would also be prohibited under the proposed legislation, cleveland.com reported.
• “Prop bets” on in-game performance would be banned, as stated by cleveland.com.
• All betting on college athletics would be prohibited, according to cleveland.com.

Why It Matters

This legislative proposal marks a significant attempt to alter the current sports betting landscape in Ohio. The move to restrict betting to physical casinos and eliminate online/mobile options represents a potential shift in regulatory approach, reportedly driven by concerns over gambling addiction and its health consequences, as cited by the three GOP lawmakers.

What’s Next

The proposed legislation is currently in the Ohio House, according to cleveland.com.

Originally reported by: cleveland.com. Published: 4/9/2026, 6:07:22 PM.