Governor of Ohio Proposes Restrictions on Prop Betting, Citing Safety and Trust Issues
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has made a public appeal for a ban on prop bets, citing concerns over the integrity of sports and the welfare of athletes. This call comes after Major League Baseball suspended two Cleveland Guardians pitchers amid an investigation into suspicious prop betting activity.
In a statement made on Thursday, Governor DeWine expressed his concern about the "prop betting experiment in this country [that] has failed badly." He highlighted the threats that athletes, both collegiate and professional, are receiving from bettors as a significant issue.
The governor's concern is specifically with micro-betting markets that are highly specific. These markets, where a single player controls the outcome, have been a growing concern in recent years.
In 2023, the NCAA requested that state regulators ban prop betting markets on college games relating to individual performance. However, only a few states, including Ohio, have followed through with this request.
Governor DeWine plans to call on the player unions and commissioners of the six major sports leagues to support his effort to ban prop bets. He believes that the downsides of continuing to allow these markets outweigh the benefits.
As of early August 2025, there is no comprehensive league-wide ban on prop betting markets in professional sports leagues such as the MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, or NCAA. However, significant recent developments indicate rising concerns and calls for prohibition at the state level, especially following high-profile investigations.
The ongoing investigations by the MLB regarding betting issues, including threats to players, have further fueled the governor's call for a ban. The investigation involves two Cleveland Guardians players who are under investigation for suspicious prop betting in games they played last month.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission has already amended state rules to prohibit bettors from placing prop bets on individual player achievements or in-game statistics. Other states and leagues have not yet reported implementing outright bans, but the situation has provoked ongoing scrutiny and debate within sports governance and regulatory bodies.
The NCAA remains concerned about sports betting but has not imposed a direct ban on prop betting markets. Instead, it enforces restrictions on athletes and personnel wagering on sports to protect competition integrity. The major professional leagues typically maintain policies banning players and personnel from betting on their sports but have not collectively outlawed prop betting markets across the industry.
The outcome may hinge on whether sports commissioners and player unions support state-level regulatory changes advocated by officials like DeWine. As the debate continues, the focus remains on ensuring the integrity of sports and the welfare of athletes.
[1] Cleveland Plain Dealer. (2025, August 4). Ohio Governor Mike DeWine calls for ban on prop bets in sports. Retrieved from https://www.cleveland.com/open/2025/08/ohio-governor-mike-dewine-calls-for-ban-on-prop-bets-in-sports.html
[2] ESPN. (2025, July 28). MLB suspends 2 Cleveland Guardians players amid betting investigation. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/36368895/mlb-suspends-2-cleveland-guardians-players-amid-betting-investigation
[3] Associated Press. (2025, August 5). Ohio bans prop bets on individual player achievements, in-game statistics. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/sports-baseball-ohio-betting-gambling-51a98e5e3466b7f4150425b13d8baf4f
[4] USA Today. (2025, August 6). Ohio Governor Mike DeWine seeks support from sports leagues to ban prop bets. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2025/08/06/ohio-governor-mike-dewine-seeks-support-sports-leagues-ban-prop-bets/39727893/
- The Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine, has called for a ban on prop bets in sports, citing concerns about the integrity of sports and the welfare of athletes.
- This call comes after the Major League Baseball suspended two Cleveland Guardians pitchers due to an investigation into suspicious prop betting activity.
- The governor's concern is specifically with micro-betting markets that are highly specific, where a single player controls the outcome, which have been a growing concern in recent years.
- Governor DeWine plans to call on the player unions and commissioners of the six major sports leagues, including MLB, to support his effort to ban prop bets, believing that the downsides of continuing to allow these markets outweigh the benefits.
