Ohioans may soon no longer be able to use credit cards to place sports bets, under a draft rule change put forward by Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration this week.
The rule change, which could take effect in as little as a few months, is one of the reforms sought by sports-betting critics, who say using credit cards to place bets amplifies the risk of gambling addiction and financial ruin.
However, the effect of a credit-card ban could be limited, given that most major sports-betting operators, including DraftKings and FanDuel, have already stopped accepting credit-card deposits.
Many bettors have also turned away from using credit cards because credit-card companies often charge high fees and interest rates on sportsbook transactions, which they consider to be cash advances.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which posted the draft rule Monday, is now accepting public comment through May 15. After that, the commission must hold a public hearing and send the proposal to a state legislative panel for review. If the process goes smoothly, the changes could take effect later this summer.
The draft rule would not apply to debit cards, which for years has been the most popular way for bettors to deposit money into sports-betting apps, according to PaySafe, a major sports‑betting payment processor.
The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com has reached out for comment to a DeWine spokesman and the Casino Control Commission, as well as to the American Gaming Association, a prominent sports-betting trade group.
If the draft rule takes effect, Ohio would join at least nine other states that have already banned the use of credit cards for sports wagers.
Those bans — along with concerns about problem gambling and high customer fees — are part of the reason why the nation’s largest sports‑betting companies, including DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars Entertainment, BetMGM and bet365, have moved over the past year to stop accepting credit‑card deposits.
Even so, sports-betting critics included a credit-card deposit ban in proposed legislation unveiled last month to significantly restrict sports gambling, which has been legal in Ohio since early 2023.
“(Gambling addicts) 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,” said state Rep. Gary Click, a Sandusky County Republican cosponsoring the bill, during a news conference.
While the legislation has attracted headlines, it’s unlikely to pass before the current legislative session ends in December.
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