Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman said the legislative session would end without significant progress on online casino legislation. Governor Mike DeWine has also expressed doubts about online casinos, while House Bill 298 and Senate Bill 197 faced opposition from religious and health groups.
Operators and suppliers face continued uncertainty over whether Ohio will establish a regulated online casino market.
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Ten Republican representatives introduced Ohio House Bill 971 in the Ohio House on 1 July, according to the report. The proposal would prohibit online and mobile sports betting, in-play and parlay bets, college sports wagers and player proposition bets, while capping individual bets at $100 and limiting customers to eight bets per 24 hours. The bill has entered the House committee process and would need approval from both chambers before reaching the governor.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission displayed a draft rule proposing a ban on credit-card deposits for sports betting, according to the report. Public comments were open until 15 May 2026, after which the commission planned a hearing and referral to a state legislative panel; debit cards are excluded from the proposal.
Ohio Republican representatives introduced the proposed Save Ohio Sports Act at the Statehouse on 8 April, seeking to end app-based betting and restrict wagering to in-person bets at four authorised casinos. The bill would cap single bets at $100 and daily bets at eight, prohibit several bet types and collegiate sports wagering, and restrict advertising; it now goes to the Ohio House.
The NCAA, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and sports leagues have pressed for limits on prop bets amid betting scandals in US sport. The NCAA said 46% of Division I men’s basketball players received negative or threatening messages from people who had bet on their games, up 10% from the prior year; Ohio bars college-sports prop bets, while MLB agreed to cap micro prop wagers at $200.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said on Wednesday that signing the state’s sports betting law was his biggest mistake, citing addiction, advertising and concerns about sports integrity. He said he would sign a bill banning prop bets if it reached him, while Ohio lawmakers had shown little indication they would impose further restrictions before he leaves office.