Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Major League Baseball is working to get rid of micro prop bets.
This comes after DeWine requested the Ohio Casino Control Commission to draft rules prohibiting these types of wagers. DeWine told The Columbus Dispatch this week that MLB was close to an agreement with all but one online sports betting operator to ban micro prop betting.
“These micro prop bets are just very dangerous,” said DeWine. “They’re really a great threat to the integrity of sports. And they occur in baseball, but they can occur in other sports as well. And they do occur in other sports as well.”
Governor Has Concerns With Micro Props
Micro prop betting focuses on events often controlled by a single players. For example, gamblers can bet on how many strikeouts a pitcher has, or how long someone lasts in a game. There are also in-game bets based on even smaller outcomes.
However, micro prop betting led to concerns about game integrity. DeWine expressed his initial concerns about the wagers in August after MLB opened an investigation into sports betting accusations surrounding Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz.
The investigation is still ongoing and both pitchers remain on indefinite, non-disciplinary paid leave. According to DeWine, a possible end to these types of bets would only affect MLB betting options. The bets would be available in other leagues.
DeWine added that if the league enacts the ban itself, then he could end his own efforts of getting state gaming regulators to implement a similar measure. If he does press forward with a rule change, DeWine needs more than just approval from regulators. The Ohio legislature’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review also needs to approve the change.
Lastly, DeWine said that a complete nationwide ban on these types of bets would be the best approach. His comments come as the NBA faces several gambling issues. Additionally, the NCAA has several sports betting investigations underway.
