Ohio’s Betting History: From Pete Rose to Legal Sportsbooks
No one was exactly surprised Pete Rose found himself in trouble. In the 1970s, it was a barely kept secret that Rose had a gambling problem.
For a time, he reserved his wagers to bets at the track. The legality of those bets? Well, that depends on where and how he conducted them. Ultimately, his business—and hardly a matter of concern at this point.
What everyone thinks of first when they hear the name of one of baseball’s best hitters is a notorious scandal.
Rose bet on baseball. Not just any baseball team, either. The Cincinnati Reds, where he had a long history. Where he was currently serving as team manager.
The accusations resulted in Rose receiving a lifetime ban from organized baseball. A decision that was at once controversial and life-altering. To this day, despite a record that would more than qualify him, Rose is excluded from the Baseball Hall of Fame.
And yet in Cincinnati, where he earned his fame and lost his credibility all with the same team, gambling is now legal. You can wager on any team in MLB and even take advantage of Ohio sports betting bonuses.
Sports Betting in Ohio
It’s important to understand that the history of legalized gambling in Ohio is long and often fraught. Early efforts to legalize gambling date all the way back to the 1930s. Then, gambling options were limited primarily to a state lottery. Nevertheless, lobbyists were busy working behind the scenes to promote a more robust wagering experience.
Their efforts slowly paid off. By the 1970s, there were 11 fully legal commercial casinos operating in the state.
From here, it was a slow and winding road toward legalized digital betting options.
In 2021, the state finally legalized online betting, which was a major easing of the state’s otherwise restrictive laws. Even this is only the product of 2 years of bickering between the state house and senate.
Now everything from digital casinos to online betting is fully legalized in the state of Ohio.
Aftermath
For all the legal turmoil surrounding sports betting in Ohio, the initial legal launch was an immediate and resounding success. In January, when sports and online betting were legalized, the state generated an incredible $1.1 billion.
Quickly, it became one of the largest markets in the country. It’s developed considerably in the 2 years since. There are now 19 sportsbooks working in the state.
And more than $7.65 billion was processed in 2023 alone. Not only is the state gaining an incredible amount of new revenue, but it is also keeping a remarkable amount of money within its borders. Gambling restrictions rarely significantly alter the number of people placing online bets. It just changes where they do it.
Now that Ohio is friendly to online betting, it’s reaping the rewards.
Pete Rose and the Rules
So did Pete Rose and his infamous controversy actually violate state law? Rose’s betting in the 1980s was through illegal bookmakers since legal sports betting didn’t exist in Ohio at that time.
Ultimately, though, the legality of the wager was never the issue. The baseball controversy actually owes to league regulations.
Rose was accused not of unduly influencing the outcome of games, but simply betting on baseball, which is against league rules. Even in cases where games are still being played honestly, MLB prohibits players from making wagers on any games, even at the college level.
Why is this noteworthy? Well, it touches back upon a consideration that bears relevance in most legalized gambling discussions.
Why are we getting in the way of an adult making a socially harmless personal choice? The state of Ohio itself certainly saw the benefits of letting grown-ups decide for themselves what relationship they want to have with gambling. Perhaps the Pete Rose incident still leaves such a bad taste in so many baseball fans’ mouths because he wasn’t given a similar level of courtesy.
Coming Full Circle
And how did this all work out for old Pete Rose? In 2023, the would-be Hall of Famer was allowed to place the very first legal sports bet in Ohio. His wager? What else could it be except a bet on the Cincinnati Reds winning the World Series.
They didn’t, incidentally. But the full circle moment was at least marginally satisfying for fans of baseball who believe that Charlie Hustle got the raw end of the stick.
It’s hard to say if there’s a moral of the story exactly. But most can at least agree that the state is better for its now more relaxed take on sports betting.
