New Details Around Ohio New Sports Betting Law Regarding Threats of Harm

Ohio recently passed a new sports betting law that is the first of its kind. The law allows the state to ban or exclude bettors who threaten harm or violence to athletes. The state had seen some issues of sports betting-related threats being made to athletes, including at the college level. While the threats were empty, the case quickly caught the eye of Ohio legislators. With this measure, they decided to stop the problem at the source, but many bettors were still left with questions.

This week, the Ohio Casino Control Commission clarified some questions about the new rules. The most important one was that bettors who simply criticize an athlete would not be subject to a ban. Many were concerned the law could be used to cover any kind of social media activity that says anything negative about a player. Instead, these details confirm the law is centered only around threats of harm or violence.

“[The Law] allows CAC to exclude a person from participating in sports gaming in Ohio if the person has threatened violence or harm against a person who is involved in a sporting event, where the threat was related to sports gaming and made before, during, or after a sporting event,” OCCC Executive Director Matt Schuler shared. “Stipulates that this provision enhances and in no way decreases a CAC’s existing broad powers and authority in this area.”

Due Process for Bettors That Violate the Law

The OCCC also confirmed that any bettor accused of violating this law will have a chance to plead their case. If they choose to do so, they can set an independent hearing in front of the OCCC. The bettor will be banned if the OCCC rejects the claim after a hearing.

We are still waiting for details about how Ohio will enforce these rules. Tying fake social media accounts to real people is a tricky process, and they will need to help of the companies running those platforms. 

All eyes will be on Ohio, as no other state that allows sports betting has rules around this issue. The state’s success could quickly change that, leading to a new legal sports betting era in the US.