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Ohio’s sports betting market could face sweeping changes under a new proposal formally introduced in the state House.
House Bill 971, called the “Save Ohio Sports Act,” was filed on July 1 by State Representatives Johnathan Newman and Beth Lear with support from ten Republican representatives. The measure, first unveiled in April, now begins its path through the legislative process.
If enacted, the bill would shut down online and mobile sports betting, limiting wagers to in‑person betting at casinos. It also seeks to outlaw live or in‑play betting and parlay wagers, two of the most popular products in the market.
College sports betting and player proposition bets would be prohibited, while customers would be barred from using credit cards or borrowed funds to place bets.
The legislation goes further by introducing strict limits on advertising and betting behavior. Individual wagers would be capped at $100, and players could place no more than eight bets in a 24‑hour period. Promotions and advertising would face new restrictions, including bans during live professional sports broadcasts and inside sports venues.
“Monetizing addiction to fund public education is the wrong direction for Ohio. Who wins when predatory gambling preys on the vulnerable? It’s not our schools; that’s for sure!” said Newman. “It’s the trillion-dollar big gambling companies who win. How is this good for Ohio?”
“Gambling is the number one addiction that leads to suicide – online gambling companies are in an aggressive pay-to-play game with the Ohio Legislature, hoping to expand their profits on the backs of Ohioans with the ‘carrot’ of providing extra tax money for the government. This legislation makes it clear: our kids, their physical and mental well-being, are not for sale,” said Lear.
Tax implications of proposed ban
House Bill 971 has not yet been assigned to a committee, but if it advances, the financial impact on Ohio could be significant.
Since sports betting launched in January 2023, online and retail operators have generated more than $1 billion in revenue, producing nearly $210 million in tax profits for the state last year alone. In the first five months of 2026, Ohio collected close to $90 million from the 20% tax rate on sports wagers.
The numbers show how heavily the state relies on online betting for tax income. Retail sportsbooks have contributed only about $1 million to this year’s total, meaning almost all of the tax revenue has come from mobile and online platforms.
A ban on those products would therefore cut off the primary source of sports betting taxes, leaving Ohio with only a fraction of the revenue it currently receives.
