Alabama Baseball Bets Blocked By Ohio Casino Control Commission
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At the moment, Ohio sports bettors can’t place any wagers on the Alabama Crimson Tide college baseball team. This is due to a quick cease on wagers on the team in the state, which is reportedly due to suspicious activity for bets on the team. The Ohio sports betting market has been live since the start of 2023, and it hasn’t been without its issues, with some betting operators facing big fines along the way.
Temporary Halt Placed On Alabama Baseball Bets In Ohio
Following the Alabama Crimson Tide college baseball game against the LSU Tigers on Friday, April 28th, some skeptical betting activity was detected. This led to a total stoppage to all bets on the Crimson Tide baseball team, as reported by ESPN.
This move comes from Matthew T. Schuler, the executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), and effectively puts a stop to all baseball bets on Alabama until further notice. The OCCC monitors Ohio sports betting, casino gaming, skill-based games, and daily fantasy sports.
The game in question ended with a 13-11 win by the LSU Tigers (-245 favorites heading into the game) with the Crimson Tide’s comeback attempt falling short. The Tigers are currently the top-ranked team in college baseball while the Crimson Tide are unranked.
The strange betting activity was originally detected by U.S. Integrity, a firm that specializes in overseeing the wagering market. After this detection, the Las Vegas-based firm notified the sports betting operators it collaborates with.
OCCC director of communications Jessica Franks claims that the bets in question took place at the retail BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ballpark, the home stadium of the Cincinnati Reds. Ohio totally stopped all bets on the Alabama baseball team, while FanDuel Sportsbook has taken the team’s matchups off its mobile betting app in all markets.
The alleged suspicious wagering activity on Friday's Alabama-LSU baseball game occurred at the sportsbook located at Great American Ballpark, according to a spokesperson for the Ohio Casino Control Commission. https://t.co/crL0Qr7g1m
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) May 2, 2023
Ohio Casino Control Commission Continues Responsible Gaming Push
The halt to bets on Alabama baseball betting is the latest example of the OCCC’s commitment to responsible gaming. The OCCC handed out $150,000 fines to three different sports betting operators earlier this year for violating pre-established betting policies.
The operators didn’t fulfill the requirement that a hotline for problem gambling should be included in all marketing. Additionally, the sportsbooks had used some banned terms in different ads.
Ohio’s continued work with responsible betting has likely influenced other moves this year, such as the recent news of PointsBet Sportsbook, one of the top sports betting apps in the industry, officially joining the Responsible Gambling Coalition. This also led to the mobile sportsbook ending its deal with the Colorado Buffaloes college sports program, which stems from the American Gaming Association’s new marketing code that criticized partnerships with college teams.
High-scoring affair favors top-ranked LSUhttps://t.co/D3sPX1SlE2#RollTide pic.twitter.com/7t7pkRFoBN
— Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) April 30, 2023
When Will Alabama College Baseball Bets Be Available Again?
There is no word yet on the near future of wagering on the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team in the state of Ohio or with FanDuel Sportsbook Online. The team’s next game is this upcoming Thursday, when they’ll be facing off against the fifth-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. Alabama’s final regular season game is scheduled for Saturday, May 20th, with a showdown against the Ole Miss Rebels.
