Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on 23 July 2025 that he would not sign online casino legislation during his remaining 18 months in office, citing concerns about gambling addiction. Two proposals remained active in the General Assembly; the source estimated that online casinos could generate up to $800 million annually for the state.
DeWine’s stated opposition puts the prospects of two pending Ohio online casino proposals in question.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he regrets signing the 2021 bill that legalised sports betting in the state. He said he did not anticipate the scale of advertising or the reach of mobile betting, and linked the market’s growth to problem gambling. Ohio recorded $7.7 billion in sports bets in 2023 and nearly $8.9 billion in 2024.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he regrets signing the law that legalised sports betting in the state, citing concerns about addiction and people wagering money they cannot afford to lose. DeWine made the comments during a meeting with a newspaper editorial board; the law set 1 January 2023 as the launch date for retail and online betting.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he regretted signing House Bill 29, which established the state’s sports betting framework. He cited recent betting scandals and criticised operators’ advertising, while saying changes to strengthen sports integrity could be possible; the source reports that Ohio has generated $500 million in tax revenue from sports betting.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he would sign a bill repealing the state's legal sports betting framework, but believes lawmakers lack the votes to pass one. He said concerns over gambling advertising and harassment of college athletes contributed to his regret; Ohio's ban on college player prop bets took effect in February 2024.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine backed MLB’s proposal to restrict or cap some player performance bets in Ohio, according to his reported comments. He described the measure as overdue and urged sportsbooks to support it, after two Ohio professional athletes were suspended in a sports betting investigation.