Ohio Could Ban Sports Bettors For Aggressive Comments Towards College Athletes

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) held an important meeting on the morning of Wednesday, January 18th, and some major topics were covered throughout. One of the most pressing issues had to do with the recent fines facing sports betting platforms, with the OCCC voting in favor of a fine for a top online sportsbook. Plus, another top sports betting operator was awarded a new license by the OCCC during the meeting.

However, one of the most interesting parts of the meeting focused on a potential ban on bettors that could make major waves in the world of sports wagering. Let’s break down some of the major highlights from the Wednesday OCCC meeting.

Potential Bans Coming For Violent Comments Towards Collegiate Athletes

The Wednesday OCCC meeting delved into some big topics in the new sports betting industry. Thankfully, betting reporter Ryan Linnehan chronicled the major parts of the meeting on his Twitter account. One topic that stands out in particular comes from OCCC Executive Director Matt Schuler’s comments regarding potentially banning certain bettors.

Schuler says that the Commission is exploring adding any bettor that makes aggressive comments towards college athletes related to losing wagers to an exclusion list. According to Schulker, the OCCC has the ability to ban any bettors if they’re found to have made such threatening statements to a college athlete.

This idea appears to have been fueled by recent comments from Dayton men’s basketball head coach Anthony Grant. The coach, who is in his sixth season with the program, has said that his players have been on the receiving end of threats from sports bettors that have lost wagers on the team.

Grant denounced the behavior and expressed that fans need to treat players with respect in the changing environment of legalized sports betting. This could make major waves with not just the Ohio sports betting industry, but wagering across the U.S. as a whole.

OCCC Votes For Caesars Sportsbook Ohio Fine

Another big story since the launch of Ohio sports betting has been the fines given to major sports betting operators for advertising fines. During the Wednesday meeting, the OCCC voted in favor of the $150,000 fine towards Caesars Sportsbook.

In addition to the fine, the Commission will collaborate with the sports betting platform on training its staff to avoid future violations. Caesars Digital President Eric Hession says that the company had cut ties with a third party responsible for these violations.

WynnBET Sportsbook Ohio Receives New License

WynnBET Sportsbook is one of the most popular online betting apps across the U.S. The platform from Wynn Resorts just saw a big win with the aforementioned meeting, as the OCCC awarded WynnBET Sportsbook a mobile management service provider license.

This means that WynnBET Sportsbook Ohio will now be able to compete with some of the other major mobile sportsbooks in the state with an expected launch coming soon. Additionally, WynnBET has partnered with Jack Thistledown Racino, with the sportsbook providing mobile wagering services for the North Randall gambling hotspot.