It appears Ohio sportsbooks won’t be allowed to offer certain prop bets soon.
In the wake of Gov. Mike DeWine’s request to prohibit some of the popular wagers, the Ohio Casino Control Commission is drafting new rules surrounding the type of bets. DeWine’s request came after Major League Baseball opened an investigation into sports betting accusations surrounding two Cleveland Guardians pitchers.
Assistant General Counsel Caty Abbott told Legal Sports Report regulators will at least be curbing the wagers.
“The Commission is currently drafting a rule to prohibit player-specific micro wagers,” Abbott said. “When we believe we have a draft that will accomplish that, then the Commission will follow the statutory process for rule promulgation.”
Rule Could Be Law By September
Abbott’s comment shows the rule isn’t set in stone yet. Exactly what they will ban is still a bit of a mystery. However, the Commission’s new rule will certainly impact in-game betting.
The Guardians’ controversy revolves around single-pitch wagers. MLB placed right-hander Luis Ortiz on non-disciplinary paid leave on July 3 after there was unusual gambling activity on two pitches he threw for balls.
The league put closer Emmanuel Clase on the same leave at the end of July. Then, MLB launched an investigation into both players. However, the league hasn’t announced any evidence to linking either player to fixing or rigging statistics.
Ohio requires 30 days of notice before any new sports betting rule goes into effect. In other words, the new rule could be law in September at the earliest.
In the new era of widespread online sports betting, this type of scandal isn’t new. Last July, Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Ported pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after investigators said he fixed his own statistics for prop bettors.
Ohio Banned Prop Bets Once Before
Last year, the NCAA pushed states to ban prop bets on collegiate athletes. NCAA president Charlie Baker argued the bets put undue pressure on student-athletes and could lead to game integrity issues.
Ohio was one of the few states to agree with Baker and ban NCAA prop bets.
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