A coalition of legislators in Ohio has unveiled a proposed legislation aimed at prohibiting online sports betting and implementing extensive limits on legal wagering within the state.
House Bill 971, sponsored by Republican Representatives Johnathan Newman and Beth Lear, would restrict sports betting to physical sportsbooks. Should this bill be enacted, it would eliminate online betting, which currently comprises the majority of Ohio’s sports betting landscape.
As per recent reports from the Ohio Casino Control Commission, online sportsbooks represented 98.5% of the total sports betting handle in May, contributing most of the revenue for operators.
In addition to banning online betting, House Bill 971 seeks to introduce significant limitations on betting types. This legislation would disallow wagering on college sports, parlays, player proposition bets, and live game betting.
Moreover, it would set a limit on individual bets to $100 and restrict bettors to eight wagers every 24 hours. The bill would also prohibit the use of credit cards or borrowed funds to fund betting accounts.
In May, the commission had already suggested a regulation that would ban credit card deposits for sportsbook accounts. If sanctioned, bettors would be permitted to fund their accounts solely via ACH transfers, wire transfers, promotional credits, and winnings. The proposed rule requires approval from the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review and must undergo public hearings before becoming effective.
Ohio previously enacted a ban on college player proposition bets in 2024 following a push from the NCAA for states to implement uniform restrictions.
Governor Mike DeWine has articulated his regret for signing Ohio’s sports betting law in 2021 and has advocated for stricter gambling regulations. In a November 2025 statement to the Associated Press, DeWine remarked, “Ohio shouldn’t have undertaken it,” referencing the legalization of sports betting.
His remarks followed federal allegations that Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were involved in a scheme that manipulated pitches for gambling-related kickbacks.
In January, DeWine reiterated his opposition in a discussion with Cleveland.com, reiterating his criticism of sports betting and advocating for the removal of proposition bets.
Proponents of the bill contend that the measure aims to combat gambling addiction and enhance consumer protection. “Profiting from addiction to finance public education is a misstep for Ohio,” Newman asserted. “Who benefits when exploitative gambling targets the vulnerable? It’s certainly not our educational institutions! It’s the billion-dollar gambling firms that profit. How is this beneficial for Ohio?”
Lear reinforced those concerns by calling for more robust protections against gambling addiction. “Gambling is the leading addiction linked to suicide – online gambling operators are aggressively trying to influence the Ohio Legislature to increase their profits at the expense of Ohioans under the guise of providing additional tax revenue for the state,” she stated. “This legislation clearly indicates: our children, including their mental and physical well-being, are not commodities.”
Alongside betting restrictions, the bill would enforce stricter guidelines on gambling advertisements and promotional offers targeting consumers.
The legislation is yet to be assigned to a House committee. For it to proceed into law, it must be approved by both branches of the Ohio General Assembly before landing on Governor DeWine’s desk. The proposal has garnered support from eight other Republican lawmakers and follows an announcement made in April that detailed plans to amend Ohio’s sports betting regulations significantly.
If it becomes law, Ohio would be the first state to revoke online sports betting since PASPA was overturned. Maryland contemplated a similar initiative in 2025 through Senate Bill 1033, seeking to terminate online sports betting while allowing brick-and-mortar sportsbooks to remain operational. That measure did not progress beyond its initial Senate reading.
Since its launch on January 1, 2023, Ohio’s online and retail sportsbooks have generated over $1 billion in revenue, creating nearly $210 million in tax contributions for the state last year. Through the first five months of 2026, sports betting produced nearly $90 million in tax revenue under Ohio’s 20% tax bracket.
Retail sportsbooks, however, contributed only roughly $1 million of that total, underscoring the industry’s heavy dependence on online betting.