Blab Sports
Ohio Nears Ban on Credit Card Deposits for Online Sportsbooks
The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) is advancing a rule that would prohibit credit‑card deposits for online sportsbooks to the final stage of review. The proposal, unveiled Thursday, still requires clearance from the state’s Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review before it can be enacted.
Under the amendment, bettors would no longer be able to fund Ohio‑licensed sports‑betting accounts with credit cards, but debit cards, PayPal and bank transfers would remain available. The change comes as the state’s sports‑betting market has expanded to more than a dozen online operators and as concerns about problem gambling have risen.
"One of the cardinal rules of gambling, at low risk, is only spending money that you have… If you’re putting money on a credit card, then obviously, that goes beyond that," said Derek Longmeier, executive director of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, in an interview last Monday. Longmeier noted that tracking spending is already difficult when multiple sportsbooks are involved.
Ohio legalized sports betting in December 2021 and has since rolled out a statewide system that includes retail sportsbooks, online platforms and a regulatory framework overseen by the OCCC. The industry has grown rapidly, but the state has also seen a rise in gambling‑related problems.
A 2022 survey found that one in five Ohio residents were classified as at‑risk gamblers. In 2023, calls to the state’s Problem Gambling Helpline increased significantly, according to data released by Ohio for Responsible Gambling.
The credit‑card ban would place Ohio among a handful of states that have already prohibited credit‑card deposits for sports betting. Illinois and Tennessee are two of the six states that have enacted similar restrictions.
Earlier this year, a group of conservative lawmakers, supported by faith‑based and mental‑health advocates, drafted bills that would have imposed a range of reforms on Ohio’s sports‑betting industry, including a credit‑card ban. Those bills are unlikely to advance; only 14 of 132 state lawmakers opposed legalization in 2021, and Governor Mike DeWine has publicly called signing the law his "biggest mistake." A spokesperson for DeWine declined to comment on the OCCC rule.
The OCCC spokesperson said the agency is finalizing the rule, but the rule must still receive the green light from the Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. If approved, the ban would take effect at the start of the next betting season.
The proposed rule is part of a broader effort to make sports betting safer for Ohio residents. By limiting the use of credit cards, regulators aim to reduce the risk of bettors spending beyond their means and to improve the ability of state agencies to monitor gambling activity.
At this time, the rule remains in the review phase. Ohio lawmakers and the OCCC will determine whether the ban is adopted before the next sports‑betting cycle. Stakeholders—including sportsbooks, bettors, and advocacy groups—are watching closely as the state moves to tighten its regulatory framework.
The outcome of the review will shape how Ohio residents can fund their sports‑betting accounts and may influence the state’s approach to gambling‑related public health concerns in the years ahead.
Under the amendment, bettors would no longer be able to fund Ohio‑licensed sports‑betting accounts with credit cards, but debit cards, PayPal and bank transfers would remain available. The change comes as the state’s sports‑betting market has expanded to more than a dozen online operators and as concerns about problem gambling have risen.
"One of the cardinal rules of gambling, at low risk, is only spending money that you have… If you’re putting money on a credit card, then obviously, that goes beyond that," said Derek Longmeier, executive director of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, in an interview last Monday. Longmeier noted that tracking spending is already difficult when multiple sportsbooks are involved.
Ohio legalized sports betting in December 2021 and has since rolled out a statewide system that includes retail sportsbooks, online platforms and a regulatory framework overseen by the OCCC. The industry has grown rapidly, but the state has also seen a rise in gambling‑related problems.
A 2022 survey found that one in five Ohio residents were classified as at‑risk gamblers. In 2023, calls to the state’s Problem Gambling Helpline increased significantly, according to data released by Ohio for Responsible Gambling.
The credit‑card ban would place Ohio among a handful of states that have already prohibited credit‑card deposits for sports betting. Illinois and Tennessee are two of the six states that have enacted similar restrictions.
Earlier this year, a group of conservative lawmakers, supported by faith‑based and mental‑health advocates, drafted bills that would have imposed a range of reforms on Ohio’s sports‑betting industry, including a credit‑card ban. Those bills are unlikely to advance; only 14 of 132 state lawmakers opposed legalization in 2021, and Governor Mike DeWine has publicly called signing the law his "biggest mistake." A spokesperson for DeWine declined to comment on the OCCC rule.
The OCCC spokesperson said the agency is finalizing the rule, but the rule must still receive the green light from the Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. If approved, the ban would take effect at the start of the next betting season.
The proposed rule is part of a broader effort to make sports betting safer for Ohio residents. By limiting the use of credit cards, regulators aim to reduce the risk of bettors spending beyond their means and to improve the ability of state agencies to monitor gambling activity.
At this time, the rule remains in the review phase. Ohio lawmakers and the OCCC will determine whether the ban is adopted before the next sports‑betting cycle. Stakeholders—including sportsbooks, bettors, and advocacy groups—are watching closely as the state moves to tighten its regulatory framework.
The outcome of the review will shape how Ohio residents can fund their sports‑betting accounts and may influence the state’s approach to gambling‑related public health concerns in the years ahead.
