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As social damage mounts, a group of Republican Ohio lawmakers are working to clamp down on the state’s sports betting business.
When they do this, the message gets out that most of the money generated flows out of state. And that’s before you count the social costs incurred.
Ohio legalized online sports betting in 2021 after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in 2018.
Since then, there have been accusations that it is a corrupt sport on a grand scale. The charges involve two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians throwing wild shots to rig bets.
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Additionally, the number of Ohioans seeking lend a hand for a gambling problem is way upwith which sports betting is associated increased crime AND more suicides.
In April, the UCLA Anderson school of management reported that the average credit scores of entire states took the hit when sports betting was legalized.
It’s not just about the average creditworthiness of gamblers, but of all state residents.
The problems have become solemn enough, Gov. Mike DeWine said in November he regrets that he signed it at all Ohio Sports Betting Law.
Three Republican lawmakers last week announced legislation to mitigate some of the worst harms made by state-owned sports betting companies.
State Reps. Riordan McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, Gary Click, R-Vickery, and Johnathan Newman, R-Troy, held a press conference and said sports betting is a failure for the average Ohioan.
“The fact is that most of the better guys don’t win,” McClain said.
He said only about 5% of top athletes actually make money in the long run.
It also seems to be a losing proposition for the entire country.
The Center for Addiction Science, Policy and Research’s Internet Gambling Research Center in February estimated revenue flows for each state that allows online gambling.
It found that in 2025, online gambling generated $888 million more for Ohio gaming companies than they paid out to players – and that’s after accounting for the $178 million that paid in taxes.
From this income $533 million flowed out of the statewhile Ohio has just $355 million left.
Ohio Republican lawmakers have proposed major modern restrictions on sports betting
The 40% share of income that remained in Ohio was less than 10 other states but greater than 19.
The $178 million in taxes and $355 million in gambling revenues left in the state sounds like a lot of money.
However, a 2023 study estimated that online gambling was established in New Jersey $350 million in annual social costs.
Ohio’s population is about a quarter larger than New Jersey’s.
So if the 2023 study is correct, Ohio’s social costs would be about $438 million.
That’s 2.5 times the taxes collected and 1.2 times the business revenues that remain in the state.
The bill announced last week will limit the frequency and size of bets, limit the marketing practices of gambling companies, and prohibit placing bets with credit cards. However, the sponsors admitted that there was a tough road ahead of him.
Aaron Baer runs the Center for Christian Virtue. He said Republicans and Democrats should support the bill because they both recognize the “exploitative nature of the gaming industry.” He added that the human costs and economic considerations make it tough to justify it.
“By 2030, Americans are projected to lose $1 trillion in personal wealth due to gambling,” Baer wrote in an email.
“In Ohio alone, approximately $1 billion in personal wealth was lost last year. Even more astonishing is the fact that 81% of people addicted to gambling have suicidal thoughts and 31% attempt suicide. Given these numbers, I don’t see how anyone could argue that the ‘economic benefits’ of sports gambling outweigh the disastrous financial, mental and social consequences.”
