DeWine says that, if he could turn back time, he would not have signed the law that legalized sports betting in his state, reports Associated Press. With two Cleveland Guardians pitchers and an Ohio-born guard for the Miami heat snared in separate betting-related criminal probes, the second-term Republican says he now "absolutely" regrets unleashing this unbridled new industry on Ohioans with his 2021 signature.
He says that lawmakers could not have fully anticipate the repercussions to the legalization of sports gambling. Because of it, a massive industry was formed, leading to an uptick in investigations and arrests surrounding rigged games.
DeWine, who faces term limits next year, said he would be happy to sign a repeal of Ohio's sports betting law at this point, but he is certain there is not enough support for that at the Ohio Statehouse.
Linda Harvey is president of Columbus-based Mission: America.
"The fact that so many Republicans have backed all of these different gambling proposals is greatly distressing to the pro-family community here in the state, and to see that there may be some accountability and some backtracking is excellent news,” states Harvey.
She says that they are extremely happy that the governor has had a change of heart. DeWine has emerged as a key driving force in clamping down on betting in Major League baseball and college basketball.
"I think we have to get behind any good proposal that will back this up because we don't need one more social catastrophe in this country,” states Harvey. “We've got all kinds of things going on now, and for this to ruin sports would be really detrimental to all of our kids growing up, all of our grandkids growing up, the whole collegiate environment, and then Major League sports as well.”
She concludes by saying, if DeWine can take some leadership on this, the more power to him.
