Can Ohio sports betting changes curb problem gambling? Advocates doubt it
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Ohio's problem gambling advocates support new proposals to prohibit online sports betting and limit other wagers, but question whether they'll be adopted or make a meaningful impact.
Why it matters: Legalized sports gambling has made millions for Ohio, but it's also created an explosion of problem gambling.
Driving the news: Three Republican lawmakers are introducing the "Save Ohio Sports Act" to outlaw bets placed on phones, restrict the amount and frequency of wagers, limit sports book ads, and prevent using credit cards to gamble.
Catch up quick: Ohio launched legalized sports betting on mobile apps and in casinos in 2023.
- Gov. Mike DeWine said last year that he regrets it.
- Ohioans have bet $26 billion since legalization, said state Rep. Riordan McClain (R-Upper Sandusky), a bill sponsor.
What they're saying: "The addictive nature of gambling, combined with the modern technology that we have in our pockets, today includes 24/7 access and unlimited options to place bets that has become a problem for many," McClain said at a press conference.
Between the lines: Ohio's sports gambling legalization was always problematic, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio executive director Derek Longmeier tells Axios.
- "At the beginning, our main point was that we don't want to have this huge expansion of sports betting all at once. We advocated for a slower, gradual entry. But at the time, they were looking for the 'more the merrier' approach."
A ban on credit cards is "an easy thing" to agree on, he says, also advocating for setting mandatory in-app betting limits upon download.
Yes, but: Longmeier thinks a mobile betting ban is "not realistic," based on its popularity.
- Even if banned, he suspects people would just install VPNs or use illegal markets.
- And wagering limits applied by sports books, he says, are undermined by the existence of more than a dozen different apps.
The bottom line: Ohio's gambling laws have been constantly debated and changed since the 2012 rollout of casinos. Longmeier hopes those changes can slow down and let support systems catch up.
- Just last year, state lawmakers were considering legalizing online casinos.
- "It just seems like such huge pendulum shifts, and I think the real change is going to come somewhere in the middle."