The days of “micro betting” could be over in Ohio as the Casino Control Commission is drafting a rule to prohibit some player prop bets.
“The Commission is currently drafting a rule to prohibit player-specific micro wagers,” Assistant General Counsel Caty Abbott told LSR Friday. “When we believe we have a draft that will accomplish that, then the Commission will follow the statutory process for rule promulgation.”
The rule is in response to a request from Gov. Mike DeWine, which called on the state’s gaming regulator to ban bets on “highly specific events within games that are completely controlled by one player.”
DeWine noted the ongoing investigation into two Cleveland Guardians pitchers who potentially broke MLB sports betting rules in his request.
When could some Ohio player props be banned?
The timeline given suggests the new Ohio sports betting rule may not go into effect until mid-September or later.
After a rule is drafted, the commission must hold a public hearing with at least 30-days’ notice. The rule would be in effect after it is published in the Register of Ohio, which is updated weekly.
What kind of bets could be banned?
Without the rule language, it is not clear what will be included in the change.
Even the kind of first-pitch bets that are reportedly involved in the MLB investigation could be argued to include more than one player. For example, a pitch’s placement could be picked by the catcher.
Some of the not-as-micro live prop bets – such as a bet on the outcome of the following drive in a football game – should still be allowed.
Not the first time Ohio has moved first
The Ohio Casino Control Commission is one of the most active regulators in the sports betting space.
It was Ohio’s sports betting rules that outlawed the use of “free bets” and similar terms in any marketing from its licensees that essentially removed the term from the legal betting lexicon. The rule required any ads in Ohio to not include the terms, which meant it extended to national ad campaigns as well.
This would not be the first time regulators nixed a bet type after the market launched, either. In February 2024, the commission outlawed betting on college player props following a request from NCAA President Charlie Baker that got DeWine’s approval.
