Ohio lawmakers push ‘Save Ohio Sports Act’ to rein in wagering
Ohio lawmakers have introduced the Save Ohio Sports Act, a measure that would impose new “guardrails” on sports wagering across the state. House Bill 971, filed by Representatives Riordan McClain, Gary Click, and Johnathan Newman, seeks to ban online sports betting and reshape Ohio’s gambling market. The proposal follows concerns raised in April about gambling addiction, financial harm, and the integrity of sporting contests.
Lawmakers’ concerns
“Monetising addiction to fund public education is the wrong direction for Ohio,” Newman said in a statement. “Who wins when predatory gambling preys on the vulnerable? It’s not our schools… It’s the trillion-dollar gambling companies. How is this good for Ohio?”
Sports betting addiction has become a growing public health issue. Studies link rising gambling disorder rates to mobile apps, constant advertising, and easy access. Young adults are especially vulnerable, facing risks of depression, crippling debt, and even suicide. Under HB 971, retail wagering would remain legal but only at licenced casino properties. The bill also prohibits credit card deposits, which is a restriction already adopted by operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel.
Limits on betting options
Ohio’s sports betting market has quickly become one of the largest in the U.S., generating over $10.2 billion in wagers and more than $1 billion in operator revenue in 2025. Projections estimate $1.2 billion in taxable revenue for 2026. This scale underscores the stakes of HB 971, which could reverse Ohio’s booming online betting industry.
The bill further bans proposition wagers and live betting markets, restricts parlays, and caps bets at $100 each, with no more than eight wagers allowed in a 24-hour period.
Advertising and college sports ban
Advertising restrictions are also included. Sports betting promotions would be barred from athletic venues and live sports broadcasts. In addition, the bill prohibits wagering on college sports and related events. Public sentiment appears to be shifting.
According to Harvard University, 43 percent of U.S. adults now view legalised sports betting as harmful to society—up from 34 percent in 2022. Communities are increasingly pushing back against the saturation of betting ads and the integration of gambling into sports culture.
Potential national impact
If signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio would become the first state to repeal online sports betting since the federal ban under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned. Such a move could set a national precedent.
PASPA, passed in 1992, banned most forms of sports betting nationwide until the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 2018 in Murphy v. NCAA. That decision opened the door for states like Ohio to legalise and regulate sports wagering. Within months, states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi followed suit.
By 2024, regulated sportsbooks had taken in over $300 billion in wagers, generating billions in tax revenue for states. The repeal triggered rapid expansion of the U.S. sports betting industry, with nearly half of the states now offering legal wagering.
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