Trio of Ohio lawmakers want college prop ban rescinded

The group also conveyed disapproval regarding the state’s recent sports betting tax hike.

A 350-page report on the state of gaming in Ohio was recently released by the Ohio House of Representatives. As part of the Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio, three Ohio lawmakers released a letter expressing their thoughts. 

The trio of Republican lawmakers recommended the state rescind their recent ban on college player prop betting. Ohio banned betting on this market in February at the request of the NCAA. 

The commission was formed after Ohio legalized online sports betting in 2023. Included in the report are testimonies from industry experts on numerous subjects. The committee met four times over the past year to discuss topics. Lawmakers in Ohio are under no legal obligation to follow the recommendations of the committee. 

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine originally supported the removal of college player prop betting and has not publicly changed his stance on the issue. “Amending rules to focus bets on the team and away from individual athletes will improve the marketplace in Ohio and properly focus betting attention on the teams and away from individual student athletes,” said DeWine in a February press release.

College player prop betting is a hot topic

College player prop betting is arguably the most debated topic in the sports betting industry at the moment. With college football season a little over a month away, discussions on the future of college props are taking place in numerous states across the country. 

Earlier this year, NCAA President Charlie Baker urged states to ban the market due to concerns about the integrity of games and harassment of student athletes. Ohio was one of the states to heed the request of the NCAA leader along with Vermont and Maryland. Louisiana will ban the market beginning on August 1. Nine other states already had a ban in place, while four other states have restrictions on the market. 

This is a highly divisive issue across the industry. 

Proponents of the ban will agree with Baker’s arguments. Individual player prop betting does increase concerns over game integrity, and can lead to serious harassment of players both in-person and online.

However, those who oppose the ban believe that with the advancement of NIL deals in college athletics, the integrity concern is overstated. Others believe that the ban will only increase the use of illegal sportsbooks, which are harder to monitor in case of scandal. 

The trio of Ohio lawmakers argues that with college athletes now getting paid, they should be treated the same as professional athletes. There are no calls for the ban of prop betting at the professional level. 

It is unclear whether the recommendation will lead to further discussion amongst Ohio lawmakers to bring back the market in the coming months. 

Lawmakers disagree with tax hike, recommend online gaming

The state’s ban on college player prop betting wasn’t the only topic discussed in the committee’s 350-page report. 

The lawmakers expressed disappointment in Ohio’s recent tax hike on sports betting operators. The state raised its tax rate from 10% to 20% in 2024. They called the raise on taxes “premature” and worry this will stunt the growth of a still-growing market that is less than two years old. 

In addition, the trio of lawmakers expressed support for potential online casinos and iGaming in the state. “These tax revenue benefits to the state and funding that could be provided to our K-12 education system cannot be overlooked,” they added.

One area of concern is the impact on brick-and-mortar casinos in the area. Those locations are concerned that online casino games would negatively impact their business. The lawmakers acknowledged those concerns and said that future legislative sessions should ensure brick-and-mortar casinos aren’t harmed while ensuring any expansion is done safely while protecting user data. 

One market the lawmakers pointed to was Connecticut, which saw a 44.7% increase in its gaming market during the second year of iGaming in the state.