Ohio Governor Says Sports Betting Was His Biggest Mistake

Ohio Mike DeWine has been vocal about his regret for supporting sports betting, but he took it a step further this week.

The state’s top lawmaker recently sat down with cleveland.com to discuss his second and final term as Governor. During those discussions, DeWine said his biggest mistake was helping to create a legal Ohio sports betting market.

“Frankly, when I signed the bill – I should’ve have, my fault, I take the blame – I didn’t count on the massive amount of advertising that these companies would do, first to get people to sign up for their app and to continue on," DeWine told cleveland.com.

DeWine had been a supporter of the industry when he signed a bill legalizing it into law in December 2021. Like so many other lawmakers in the US, he was excited about the tax revenue the industry would generate, but failed to understand the dangers.

Over the summer, Ohio was home to a massive spot-fixing scandal involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers. One was an All-Star closer, showing that even higher-paid talent is susceptible to the lure of easy money. 

After the scandal, DeWine kicked up his rhetoric around the industry, leading to a ban on micro-betting. This specific form of player prop betting involves a single play or moment, making them far easier for athletes to manipulate. 

The Governor had hoped to ban player prop bets altogether, but was happy to at least force some change.

DeWine Links Problem Gambling to Aggressive Marketing

Unlike the general public, Governor DeWine has seen firsthand the damage caused by problem gambling. 

DeWine specifically highlighted a spike in gambling addiction among males under 46 years old. They are left with massive debts, leading to crime, suicide, and a huge mental health crisis. Those struggling with addictions often have families, which some end up losing altogether.

According to the Governor, aggressive marketing from online sportsbook operators is helping to drive the issue. While operating within state regulations, exclusive partnerships with the state’s pro sports teams allow operators to use in-game and on-air advertising. 

That results in fans being inundated with bonus offers, which is triggering for those recovering from gambling addiction.