The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has made a significant move by proposing a ban on credit cards for sports betting in the state. In an official notice released on Tuesday, the OCCC confirmed its intention to amend state law to disallow credit cards as a funding method for sports wagering. This decision follows a previous indication in May that the commission was considering this change, which now awaits approval from the Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review before it can be implemented.
The OCCC has opened a comment period that runs until Friday, July 17, allowing operators and stakeholders to express their opinions about the proposal, following which a public hearing will be scheduled on a date yet to be determined. The commission's upcoming public meetings are slated for July 15 and August 19.
The likelihood of resistance from Ohio's licensed sportsbooks appears minimal, as many have already ceased accepting credit card deposits for their online gambling services. Notably, the following operators have implemented a ban on direct credit card use in the past year:
– bet365
– BetMGM
– Caesars
– Fanatics
– FanDuel
– DraftKings
Fanatics, in particular, has stated that it has never allowed credit card deposits on its platforms. DraftKings was the pioneer among major sportsbooks, halting the acceptance of credit cards in summer 2025. FanDuel and BetMGM followed suit in March 2026, while bet365 and Caesars adjusted their policies in April.
Some sportsbooks still indirectly accept credit cards by utilizing third-party payment methods like gift cards funded through credit cards. The OCCC was contacted by SBC Americas for clarification on whether this indirect use would be addressed in the new rule.
Ohio's potential regulation aligns the state with several others that have enacted similar credit card prohibitions for online sports betting. States such as Illinois, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Vermont have either legislated or regulated against the use of credit cards in this context.
In 2023, several states, including Colorado, Maine, and Virginia, have also instituted bans on credit card funding for online sports betting, with Colorado being the most recent to include such a measure in a comprehensive consumer protection bill.
Meanwhile, as the OCCC prepares for this rule change, some lawmakers in Ohio are proposing more extensive reforms in the state’s betting landscape. Recently, a group of Republican House members presented House Bill 971, known as the "Save Ohio Sports Act", which seeks to ban credit card use legislatively and implement a range of other restrictions. These include:
– Repealing digital sports betting and restricting the market to in-person retail bets only
– Banning prop bets, live bets, and parlays
– Prohibiting college betting
– Capping wagers at $100 per bet
– Regulating the amount and frequency of deposits
– Limiting sports betting advertising during live broadcasts and imposing additional advertising restrictions.
