Amidst allegations of misconduct related to sports betting, Governor Mike DeWine is urging the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) to ban prop bets across the board in Ohio. Following an investigation by the MLB that has seen two Cleveland Guardians pitchers suspended, DeWine is ramping up his stance against what he sees as a clear and present hazard to sports. "The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass," Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated, according to an announcement from his office.
Governor DeWine isn't just looking to make a local change; he's aiming to quickly engage the commissioners and player unions across all key American sports leagues in his movement to drive out prop bets. This move comes after MLB's decision to place Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase on leave during ongoing sports betting probes. Reports indicate that unusual prop betting patterns during Guardians games were flagged in multiple states, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the game.
Threats made against University of Dayton basketball players sharpened the governor's focus on this issue, leading to revisions in House Bill 33 to address betting irregularities. The changes prohibited prop bets on individual collegiate player achievements, but left professional sports untouched—until now. As the governor bears down on the matter, professional sports might soon follow the collegiate path.
Last February, the OCCC took a step to partly curb the issue, removing collegiate prop bets as permissible wagers under Ohio's rules, as a response to a call to action by NCAA President Charlie Baker. Despite this, professional contests have continued to allow such bets—a policy Governor DeWine is now seeking to aggressively uproot for the sake of protecting the athletes and the sports themselves.
The spotlight is undoubtedly brighter after MLB's announcements of suspensions. Ortiz was initially placed on non-disciplinary paid leave on July 3, with Clase's leave following on July 28. Both suspensions, linked to the same investigation, are set to last until August 31. The Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office highlighted that "high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a 'sports betting investigation,'" emphasizing the urgency of the issue. How the OCCC will respond to DeWine's call for action remains to be observed as the governor and sports organizations grapple with the balance of entertainment, profit, and integrity.
