Ohio governor calls for ban on prop bets
Governor Mike DeWine wants prop bets remove from the list of legal markets following a sports betting investigation.
US.- Ohio governor Mike DeWine has called on the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) to remove prop bets from the list of legal bets that the state’s licensed sportsbooks are authorised to offer. The proposal comes after Major League Baseball (MLB) placed two Cleveland Guardians pitchers on leave while conducting an investigation.
DeWine said he would ask the commissioners and players unions of the six major sports leagues in the US – MLB, the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Soccer (MLC) for their support.
He said: “The evidence that prop betting is harming athletics in Ohio is reaching critical mass. First, there were threats on Ohio athletes, and now two high-profile Ohio professional athletes have been suspended by Major League Baseball as part of a ‘sports betting investigation.’”
“The harm to athletes and the integrity of the game is clear, and the benefits are not worth the harm. The prop betting experiment in this country has failed badly. I call on the Casino Control Commission to correct this problem and remove all prop bets from the Ohio marketplace.”
The MLB has placed Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase on non-disciplinary paid leave until the end of August. Starter Luis Ortiz was previously placed on leave, which was extended until August 31.
