Ohio gambling expansion raises consumer protection concerns after troubling safety scorecard

Ohio’s online gambling market may be booming, but a new national scorecard suggests consumer protections are lagging behind the industry’s rapid growth. A report from the Consumer & Society for Public Research (CASPR) gave Ohio a “D” grade and a score of 57 out of 100, placing the state 23rd nationwide for online gambling safety and regulatory strength.

Researchers say the grade reflects a gap between how easy it is to place a bet and the rules meant to protect people from financial harm or addiction. The scorecard warns that “operators can offer bets to individuals demonstrating addictive gambling behaviors,” drawing attention to what it calls a major weakness in Ohio’s current system.

Ohio legalized sports betting in 2022, launching retail sportsbooks and mobile apps at the start of 2023. Since then, wagering by smartphone has quickly become the dominant way residents place bets, mirroring a nationwide shift toward always-available digital gambling platforms.

Scrutiny on Ohio regulatory safety gaps as gambling market keeps expanding

According to the analysis, Ohio’s framework leans more toward allowing gambling than limiting its risks. The state collected 40 points for restrictions on online gambling but only 14 points for direct consumer protections, with almost no credit for tax structure or age-related safeguards.

The report also says several policies commonly recommended by public health experts simply do not exist in Ohio law. The scorecard states there are “no addiction or bankruptcy prevention protections,” and it notes that tools like mandatory loss limits, deposit waiting periods, and tougher advertising restrictions are missing.

Without those guardrails, researchers say mobile betting platforms can accelerate losses because wagers, deposits, and promotional offers happen instantly. Separate industry research has also warned about where gambling money ultimately goes, finding that 74% of U.S. online gambling revenue flowed to offshore platforms rather than regulated domestic operators.

CASPR’s report raises a similar concern about economic leakage. It estimates Ohio could see more than $533 million in annual net economic outflows tied to online betting. As the study explains, “online gambling apps route losses to out-of-state operators and vendors, creating large net leakages from state economies.”

Ohio officials have taken some steps to tighten oversight. Regulators have pursued action against prediction-market style products tied to sports outcomes, and Governor Mike DeWine has recently pushed regulators to review and potentially limit certain proposition bets that critics say can raise integrity and addiction concerns.

Meanwhile, lawmakers are also debating whether to expand the industry further by allowing full online casino games and poker. Even as that discussion moves forward, the CASPR report says Ohio still permits “24/7 sports gambling apps,” while many stronger consumer safeguards remain absent.

Featured image: Canva

The post Ohio gambling expansion raises consumer protection concerns after troubling safety scorecard appeared first on ReadWrite.