Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Ban Online Sports Betting, Cap Wagers at $100

A group of Ohio Republican lawmakers introduced House Bill 971, dubbed the “Save Ohio Sports Act,” that would eliminate online sports betting statewide and confine wagering to the state’s four full-service casinos and their retail sportsbooks. If it becomes law, Ohio would be the first state to repeal legal online sports betting since the 2018 fall of PASPA opened the door to nationwide expansion.

State Representatives Jonathan Newman and Beth Lear introduced the bill, which is backed by eight additional Republican co-sponsors. The legislation follows an April press conference where Newman, along with Reps. Riordan McClain and Gary Click, first outlined plans for sweeping changes to how Ohioans can legally bet on sports.

What the Save Ohio Sports Act Would Change

Beyond eliminating online wagering, which currently makes up the overwhelming majority of Ohio’s sports betting handle, HB 971 would impose some of the strictest betting rules in the country. Bettors would be limited to straight single-game wagers only, with parlays, in-game live betting, and player prop bets all prohibited. The bill also caps individual wagers at $100 and limits bettors to eight wagers within any 24-hour period.

College sports wagering would be banned entirely under the proposal. The bill further prohibits funding betting accounts with credit cards or borrowed money, restricting deposits to ACH transfers, wire transfers, promotional credit, and winnings. Sportsbook advertising would also face new limits, including a ban on ads inside college athletics venues and during live sports broadcasts.

Supporters argue the changes are necessary to address rising rates of gambling addiction tied to the ease of mobile betting access. Critics, including much of the gaming industry, warn that pushing bettors away from licensed online platforms would likely drive activity toward unregulated offshore books, while costing the state a significant chunk of tax revenue generated by its legal market.

A Separate Push to Restrict Credit Card Deposits

The bill arrives alongside a related but separate effort from state regulators. The Ohio Casino Control Commission is finalizing a rule that would ban credit card deposits for sportsbook accounts regardless of what happens with HB 971. Problem Gambling Network of Ohio Executive Director Derek Longmeier has voiced support for that rule, noting that with more than a dozen mobile sportsbooks live in the state, tracking problem spending patterns has become increasingly difficult for both operators and families.

That proposed rule still must clear the state’s Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review before taking effect, a process that runs independently of the legislature’s timeline on HB 971.

What Happens Next

HB 971 has not yet been assigned to a House committee, and it faces a long road before reaching Governor Mike DeWine’s desk. It must clear both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly, a threshold that similar legislation has failed to meet in other states. Maryland considered a comparable proposal in 2025 through Senate Bill 1033, which also sought to end online wagering while preserving retail sportsbooks, but that bill did not advance.

Ohio legalized mobile sports betting in January 2023, and online wagering has since become the dominant share of the market, generating substantial tax revenue for the state. Whether lawmakers are willing to walk that back remains to be seen, but the introduction of HB 971 signals that Ohio’s sports betting framework is facing its most serious legislative challenge yet.