Ohio Republican lawmakers present bill to ban online sports betting

Summary

Ohio Republicans have introduced the “Save Ohio Sports Act,” a bill that would effectively ban app-based sports betting in the state and tightly restrict land-based wagering. Announced at the Statehouse on 8 April 2026, the proposal is sponsored by Reps. Riordan McClain, Gary Click, Johnathan Newman and Kevin Ritter and backed by public‑health and addiction groups including the Centre for Christian Virtue, the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and clinicians from the Lindner Center of Hope.

The measure would require all legal sports wagering to occur in person at one of Ohio’s four constitutionally authorised casinos, cap single bets at $100, limit bettors to eight wagers per day, prohibit the use of credit cards, ban promotions (such as free or risk‑free bets), and outlaw several bet types including prop bets, parlays and in‑game wagers. Betting on collegiate sports would also be prohibited, and advertising restrictions would prevent sportsbook ads during live professional game broadcasts and inside professional venues. The bill now moves to the Ohio House.

Key Points

Bill name: Save Ohio Sports Act; announced 8 April 2026 and sponsored by four Republican state representatives.
Would end app-based sports betting in Ohio by requiring in‑person wagering at the state’s four constitutionally authorised casinos only.
Limits proposed include a $100 maximum per bet and no more than eight bets per person per day.
Ban on credit‑card betting and on promotions such as free or risk‑free bets — labelled a “no debt to bet” rule.
Prohibits prop bets tied to individual performances, parlays, in‑game wagers and betting on collegiate sports.
Advertising curbs: sportsbook ads banned during live broadcasts of professional games and inside pro sports venues.
Context: Ohio’s sports betting handle exceeded $10bn in 2025, with over 98% of bets placed online — a key driver for the bill’s focus on reducing fast, repetitive betting.
Backers frame the bill as an addiction‑prevention and athlete‑protection measure; opponents are likely to raise economic and legal concerns.

Content summary

The Save Ohio Sports Act reframes Ohio’s wagering rules away from the app‑driven market that developed after legalisation at the end of 2021. While retail and online betting launched simultaneously in 2023, online activity now dominates. Supporters say the bill aims to slow access and curb problem gambling by creating friction — shifting bets from phones to casino floors, limiting stake sizes and daily bet counts, and removing bet types that encourage rapid, high‑frequency play.

The proposal is explicitly framed as a broad rewrite rather than a narrow tweak. It has been promoted in conjunction with public health and addiction specialists and highlights concerns about aggressive marketing and the visibility of betting in everyday life. The legislation will proceed through the Ohio House for consideration and debate.

Context and relevance

This is significant for anyone involved in iGaming, sportsbook operations, payments and state taxation because it targets the core commerce model for modern sports betting — mobile apps. If enacted, Ohio’s model would dramatically reduce online handle, cut promotional activity, and shift revenue patterns back to land‑based casinos. It will also be watched nationally: other states considering tighter controls on ads, bet types or payment methods could cite Ohio as precedent.

The bill’s public‑health framing may strengthen political support, but the industry will likely challenge economic and legal impacts, and there is a risk of pushing some wagering into unregulated channels. Operators, affiliate networks, payment processors and regulators should monitor the bill closely as it moves through the legislature.

Author style

Punchy: This isn’t a tweak — it’s a hard reset on how Ohio wants wagering to work. For the iGaming sector, it’s a potential watershed moment that could reshape product offerings, marketing and payments in a major US state.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you work in gaming, payments, regulation or sports rights, pay attention — this bill could pull the rug out from under app betting in a big market. We’ve read the detail so you don’t have to: it cuts promos, caps stakes, kills many bet types and forces people back to casino floors. Expect fights on economics and legal grounds — and possibly a wider ripple across other states.