DeWine goes after sports betting again, wants to ban the use of credit cards while gambling
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration introduced a draft rule change on Monday to prohibit people from using credit cards to place sports bets.
The new requirement, supported by the anti-sports betting people, could be enforced by law in just a couple of months because using credit cards to place bets allegedly increases the probability of becoming addicted to gambling and losing all the money that a person has while gambling, according to Cleveland.com.
Most major sports-betting operators, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, already prohibit their clients from using credit cards, primarily because credit card companies allegedly charge high fees and interest rates on sportsbook transactions.
“On the part of the operators, there’s probably a bit of simplicity to it for them where you don’t have to worry, it’s just one of those things where you don’t have to worry anymore when it comes to that state-by-state patchwork of regulations. It’s kind of nice and smooth to have a blanket ban instead,” Geoff Zochodne, senior news analyst for Covers.com, told News 5 Cleveland.
Because these companies already banned the use of credit cards, Zochodne suggested that the commission should rather “focus more on the responsible gambling aspect.”
“Ensuring people are wagering with money that they have,” he said. “You’re ensuring that you have to kind of have cash on hand, so to speak, to make a bet.”
Ohioans have until May 15 to submit comments on the rule to the Ohio Casino Control Commission. After that, the commission will be required by law to hold a public hearing and send the proposal to Ohio lawmakers for review.
If the draft rule becomes law, Ohio would join other states, including Maine, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, that have laws preventing people from using credit cards for sports betting, according to The U.S. Sun.
DeWine previously said he regretted legalizing sports betting, which resulted in him pushing the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and other professional sports leagues to restrict microprop bets.
Last month, state Reps. Gary Click, R-Vickery, Riordan McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, and Johnathan Newman, R-Troy, introduced the Save Ohio Sports Act to restrict sports gambling.
People addicted to gambling “lose and lose and lose, and then they figure out, how am I going to pay the bills? I just ran up my credit cards. Now I’m deeper in debt and nothing to show for it,” Click said during a press conference.
