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Just days after Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase was placed on administrative leave by the MLB for alleged sports betting connections, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has called on the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) to completely remove prop bets from the legal wagering options offered by licensed sportsbooks in the state.
In a statement released yesterday (Jul 31), DeWine directly referenced the ongoing investigation, which also includes pitcher Luis Ortiz, with reports indicating that suspicious betting activity related to Clase and Ortiz’s pitching was flagged by a sportsbook to IC360, an integrity monitoring firm.
DeWine also pointed out that his worries extended beyond these specific incidents and highlighted harassment faced by collegiate athletes at the University of Dayton, many linked to their performance in connection with wagers.
This issue played a role in the OCCC’s February 2024 decision to ban player prop bets for college sports, and now DeWine believes it’s time to extend this restriction to professional athletes as well.
Governor Hoping to Get Major Leagues on Board
Governor DeWine plans to approach the commissioners and players’ unions of major sports leagues, including MLB, NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, and MLS, urging them to back his call for a ban on prop betting.
He believes that the evidence showing the negative impact of prop betting on athletics in Ohio is becoming undeniable.
In his statement, he noted, “The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass. First, there were threats on Ohio athletes, and now two high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a ‘sports betting investigation.”
“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm. The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly. I call on the Casino Control Commission to correct this problem and remove all prop bets from the Ohio marketplace.”
Not Ohio’s First Attempt
The governor’s worries about the impact of sports betting and even gambling are not new. Following the launch of Ohio’s sports betting market in early 2023, the state experienced a troubling increase in threats against student-athletes. This rise in harassment led to House Bill 33 being introduced.
Led by DeWine, the bill led to the ban on prop bets on college sports, with Ohio residents no longer able to place individual player prop bets on college games, although traditional bets like moneylines and point spreads remain available.
The governor has since pushed for tighter regulations on betting in the state and has been vocal about not wanting online casinos legalized, so the recent call to action is not surprising.
Micro Betting Continues to Face Scrutiny
Even outside Ohio, micro betting has continued to face scrutiny. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred recently expressed concerns about “certain types of bets,” labeling them as unnecessary and particularly susceptible to manipulation.
He questioned whether bets based on single actions, which do not directly influence the overall game outcome, should even exist.
Adding to the debate, New Jersey lawmaker Rep. Dan Hutchison recently introduced a bill aimed at banning all micro bets tied to the outcome of the next play or action. Hutchinson’s bill argues that the fast-paced nature of these bets hinders bettors’ ability to research and consider their wagers, potentially leading to “excessive and irresponsible gambling.”
“The pace of micro betting is designed to keep people gambling constantly, making one impulsive bet after another with little time to think,” he stated.
Source: SBCAmerica
