Governor DeWine’s Regret Over Legalization

Gov. Mike DeWine is feeling regret over signing the legislation to legalize sports betting in Ohio.

Ohio was in the headlines for a sports betting scandal this summer when two Cleveland Guardians pitchers were under investigation for violating sports betting rules. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were eventually indicted for allegedly rigging pitches.

DeWine was part of the conversations that led to most US sports betting operators capping micro betting on pitches to $200 and excluding them from parlays. But he regrets having to do it at all, he told the Associated Press.

“Look, we’ve always had gambling, we’re always going to have gambling,” DeWine said. “But just the power of these companies and the deep, deep, deep pockets they have to advertise and do everything they can to get someone to place that bet is really different once you have legalization of them. … Ohio shouldn’t have done it.”

Tax Revenue From Ohio Sports Betting

Legal sports betting in Ohio launched Jan. 1, 2023. The market did not even make it to its first Super Bowl before DeWine said he wanted to double the tax rate to 20%.

That increase was approved in Ohio’s 2024 and 2025 biennial budget, only for DeWine to come back and ask for the tax rate to double once again when putting together his next budget. That request was not approved.

In the two years and nine months since Ohio sports betting launched, the state has made nearly $450 million in taxes from online and retail sports betting.

Ohio’s Consumer-Focused Regulations

Despite DeWine’s regret, American sports bettors have Ohio to thank for a key change in the gambling industry.

Ohio launched with rules that prohibited the use of “free bets” or “risk-free” by all of its licensees in any advertising, even national, if the promotion required the bettor to deposit any amount. Multiple sportsbooks were fined in the early days of the market for not conforming to the state’s rules.

That led to ad campaigns changing for operators across the country.

“Operators have been aware of our rules for months, and have received multiple reminders of the need to include a clear and conspicuous responsible gambling message and that ads offering ‘free’ or ‘risk-free’ bets must not require the patron to incur any loss or risk their own money to use or to withdraw winnings,” a spokesperson told LSR at the time. “… Ads and promotions appearing in Ohio must abide by Ohio’s laws and rules.”

Other Lawmakers Express Similar Regret

The governor is not the only state government official to show remorse for their role played in legalizing sports betting.

Earlier this month, Massachusetts Sen. John Keenan apologized for his yes vote to legalize sports betting at a recent gambling hearing where he discussed his bill to install more guardrails for the industry.

“When I voted to legalize sports betting I never thought it would become what it is,” Keenan said. “We unleashed an industry that now promotes betting on anything and everything imaginable and unimaginable all over the world, 24 hours a day, every single day.

“I deeply regret my vote and I want to publicly apologize to those who have lost the opportunity to sit and watch a game just for the enjoyment of the game. I want to apologize to those who find themselves in the dark spaces of betting addiction and to those working through recovery, and to their families and friends. I want to apologize to those who have lost loved ones to suicide because of gambling issues.”

Photo by Samantha Madar/The Columbus Dispatch via AP, Pool