Although wagers on athletic events at the professional and collegiate levels went legal statewide at midnight on Jan. 1 last year, it’s not a new hobby in Ohio or elsewhere.
In 1919, members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of losing the World Series purposefully for money. The fixed-series winners: the Cincinnati Reds. One hundred years later—give or take—Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 29 into law.
“People have been betting on sports for well over a century,” said Dan Dodd, a sports gambling lobbyist with ZHF Consulting and former state lawmaker. “I think technology has caught up to what people are expecting and what is convenient for people.”
