Ohio is nearing a decision to prohibit the use of credit cards for gambling.

Ohio is actively looking into ways to re-regulate its gambling industry, aiming to enhance consumer protections and establish a more robust framework. This approach seeks to ensure that operators can continue to thrive while safeguarding vulnerable players.

The state, along with the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), is moving closer to introducing a new rule that will ban the use of credit cards for sports gambling, according to a spokesperson. This proposed rule was first discussed in April and is now awaiting approval from the Common Sense Initiative and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. Once these final legal steps are completed, the rule will take effect, preventing sportsbooks from accepting credit card payments. Many sportsbooks across the country have already recognized that credit cards are not the most efficient payment method and do not significantly benefit their business; as a result, they have opted out of accepting them even before any state regulation required it. Companies like DraftKings have implemented a nationwide ban, with FanDuel, Caesars, bet365, and Fanatics also imposing their own restrictions on credit card use. Derek Longmeier, Executive Director of the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio, supports the removal of credit cards as a funding option for gambling, emphasizing that people should not gamble money they don't have. OCCC Deputy Executive Director Craig Donahue mentioned that there has been no public or operator opposition to the proposed rule, with DraftKings only raising a minor technical issue but otherwise supporting the ban. As the change approaches, Ohio is poised to join other states like Vermont, Virginia, New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Iowa, Illinois, and Massachusetts in implementing similar measures.