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67 Clev. St. L. Rev. 267 (2019)
Regulated Sports Betting: Ohio's Chance to Take a Bet on Itself

handle is hein.journals/clevslr67 and id is 281 raw text is: REGULATED SPORTS BETTING: OHIO'S CHANCE TO TAKE A BET ON ITSELF ROBERT PORTER** ABSTRACT It is estimated that more than $150 billion is wagered on sporting events each year in the United States. Of this, only an estimated $4.5 billion is wagered legally. Why is that? Because of a federal statute (PASPA) prohibiting state sponsored sports betting, people had to resort to offshore sports gambling websites and illegal bookies. This all changed in May 2018, when the Supreme Court declared PASPA unconstitutional, effectively lifting the ban on sports betting nationwide. With states now capable of enacting their own sports gambling schemes and regulations, Ohio is in a prime position to capitalize. I advocate for a reform of Ohio's contradictory gambling laws and argue for a more common sense and advantageous system. Through swift and comprehensive decision-making, the Ohio General Assembly can enact regulation for modem sports betting and overhaul Ohio's outdated and inconsistent gambling laws. By implementing regulations that utilize Ohio's current infrastructure and examining jurisdictions with successful sports gambling in place, Ohio can be a leading innovator in sports betting regulation throughout the United States. CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 268 H . B ACKGROUN D .................................................................................................. 272 A. America's Gambling History .............................................................. 272 B. Sports Gambling Laws in the United States ....................................... 274 1. Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act ...................... 274 2. Daily Fantasy Sports, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, and the Federal Wire Act of 1961 ............................. 276 C. O hio G am bling Law s ......................................................................... 277 IIl. SPORTS BETING'S PATH To LEGALIZATION: OHIO'S PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS ... ............................................................................................................... 2 7 9 A. America's Shifting Moral and Social Views ....................................... 280 B. Problems with Ohio Gambling Laws ................................................. 283 C. Current Jurisdictions with Legalized & Regulated Sports Betting .... 287 D. Ohio's Path to Legalized Sports Betting: Proposed Rules & Regulations ....................................................................................................... 2 9 0 IV . C ONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 292 * J.D. expected, May 2019, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law; B.A. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. I would like to thank Professor Michael McCann for introducing me to this topic; with a special thanks due to Professor Margaret Sweeney and Professor Milena Sterio for their advice and guidance throughout the drafting process. I would also like to thank all my family and friends for their constant support throughout law school, with a special shout-out to my parents and Abigail Williams.