More Details Revealed on Ohio Sports Betting Ban for Threats of Harm

• The recently approved Ohio budget included a provision for the Ohio Casino Control Commission to place bettors on an exclusionary list for certain acts
• Executive Director Matt Schuler provided details at the latest commission meeting on the new provision
• Ohio Casino Control Commission will only be able to place individuals on an exclusionary list who “threaten acts of harm or violence” to athletes

More details on a new provision to help protect athletes from Ohio sports bettors taking things too far came into light during the most recent Ohio Casino Control Commission meeting.

A new Ohio sports betting provision included in the approved Ohio 2024-2025 fiscal year budget will allow state regulators to permanently ban or place sports bettors on an exclusionary list if they’re found to be threatening athletes over a sporting event.

It’s the first such provision ever approved in a state with legalized sports betting.

Threats of Harm or Violence Not Tolerated

OCCC Executive Director Matt Schuler provided specific details on the provision, noting that it will not allow the commission or regulators to place Ohio bettor on the exclusionary list for simply criticizing an athlete over a sports betting event.

For this particular provision, Schuler said bettors can only be placed on the list if they threaten “violence or harm” to an athlete over a sporting event. Any individual found to be doing so will have the opportunity for an independent hearing in front of the commission before being placed on the list.

“There will be due process as part of this,” Schuler said.

It’s a very limited, but very serious, course of action for the commission to take for something that may be considered criminal in nature.

Here’s what the approved provision specifically allows:

“Allows CAC to exclude a person from participating in sports gaming in Ohio if the person has threatened violence or harm against a person who is involved in a sporting event, where the threat was related to sports gaming and made before, during, or after a sporting event. Stipulates that this provision enhances and in no way decreases a CAC’s existing broad powers and authority in this area.”

Several Incidents Led to Provision

Schuler called for action in January 2023 after he became aware of several incidents of state bettors threatening members of the University of Dayton’s men’s basketball team.

The incident Schuler addressed came from a January basketball game involving the Dayton Flyers. As reported by Cincinnati.com, Head Coach Anthony Grant called out individuals who threatened members of his roster after the team lost 63-62 to Virginia Commonwealth after leading by 14 at halftime.

“You know, these young men, we’re asking them to sacrifice quite a bit for us to be able to do what we do and enjoy what we enjoy. So I’m just asking all the Flyer fans just to understand that we’re dealing with 18-, 21-, 22-year-olds, and this is about them. This is about them. Alright? So those of us that love the Flyers – which is the vast majority of our fanbase – we appreciate you. Alright? But if this is about anything else that doesn’t relate to what’s in the best interest of the kids, what’s in the best interest of this university and this proud program and this community that loves the Flyers,” he said during his press conference.

No details on how this provision will be enforced or monitored have been shared yet to the public.

In January, Schuler said if the commission can positively identify individuals making threats to athletes on social media, they should be banned from legal sports betting in the state.