Ohio bill seeks to ban online betting, prohibit college, prop, parlay bets

• Ohio’s HB 971 wants to pass sweeping reforms on the online gambling sector, mostly limiting much of today’s industry
• The key proposals include limiting user bets to $100 per wager, ending online wagering, and eliminating a substantial number of markets
• The bill is ambitious in its scope, but unlikely to pass through the legislature as it seeks too many restrictions at once

Online sports betting is what industry types say is the most important pillar of sports gambling legalization anywhere in the United States, as it allows local jurisdictions to compete against offshore markets and ensure that the majority of players place a wager with a licensed operator instead.

Ohio bill wants to end Internet wagering

Now, a new bill introduced on Wednesday by Republican Rep. Jonathan Newman and Beth Lear seeks to end the Internet sports wagering options and limit them to physical locations only. In a statement, Newman explained:

"Monetizing addiction to fund public education is the wrong direction for Ohio. Who wins when predatory gambling preys on the vulnerable? It's not our schools; that's for sure! It's the trillion-dollar big gambling companies who win. How is this good for Ohio?"

House Bill 971 could be a significant blow to the sports betting industry, as 98.5% of the activity is funneled through online sportsbooks right now and their mobile platforms. The number is based on the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s report for May 2026, but similar numbers are tracked in previous months.

The bill also would attempt to prohibit several popular betting markets, such as college sports, player props, in-play bets and parlays, effectively leaving few options on the table and potentially further harming revenue and overall gambling spending.

Lear has similarly argued that gambling constitutes a serious societal issue and has blamed online gambling companies whose "aggressive pay-to-play game" has threatened children in the state.

"Our kids, their physical and mental well-being, are not for sale," Lear stated flatly.

The bill is divisive, but aspects of it already have some historic backing. Gov. Mike DeWine, for example, has spoken openly against player props bets, seeing them as a way to undermine the integrity of sports, at a time when multiple high-profile scandals have emerged, including cases across the NCAA, NBA, and MLB.

Limiting users to protect them

More than that, HB 971 also wants to significantly restrict how much a player may gamble, billing it as player protection, with a $100 limit on individual wagers and eight bets in 24 hours, which is not too unreasonable at first glance, but could again drive people away from the market rather than actually enhance safety.

While ambitious in its breadth and scope, HB 971 will have a difficult time making it out of the House of Representatives and the Senate before hitting DeWine’s desk. The governor, hawkish as he is on certain aspects of sports gambling, might balk at single-handedly undoing the progress achieved in previous sessions.

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