Ohio Gambled and Lost: The Disaster of Sports Betting
This week, two pitchers for the Cleveland Guardians—Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz—were indicted by federal prosecutors in New York. They are accused of rigging bets by pre‑arranging certain pitches (balls or strikes, speed of pitch) with co‑conspirators who then placed wagers using that inside information. The scheme allegedly generated at least $400,000–$460,000 in illicit winnings, and the players received bribes or kickbacks in return.
The fallout has been immediate. The players were already on paid leave since July as the league’s investigation unfolded.
Major League Baseball and its sportsbook partners have capped individual‑pitch bets at $200 and removed them from parlay combinations, acknowledging that wagers on a single player action pose a high integrity risk.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine praised MLB’s action and urged other sports leagues to follow suit, noting that micro-prop bets create risks for the integrity of the game and public trust. The Ohio Casino Control Commission now has the authority to audit and review gaming companies to ensure adherence to these new restrictions.
This is so immensely sad. pic.twitter.com/IRy7CTYuAM
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) November 11, 2025
From CCV’s perspective
Legalized just in 2023, Ohio's sports gambling has been widely popular and broadly fraught with disaster from the beginning.
What this scandal underscores is exactly what we’ve warned for years: Legalized sports betting is not a harmless pastime.
When individual player actions serve as the basis for wagers, the door opens to manipulation, corruption, and the betrayal of trust in sport and society.
This is a wake‑up call that every effort to normalize gambling weakens moral and cultural goods like fair competition, integrity, and community wellbeing.
All predatory gambling, not just sports betting, comes with disastrous consequences.
Our friends at Stop Predatory Gambling have a great resource on the harms of commercialized sports betting.
Listen to The Narrative Podcast: The Truth About Gambling with Les Bernal
From The Dispatch archives: Should Ohio legalize sports bets as federal law allows? NO: The state should not encourage unhealthy, addictive behavior
For more information, contact CCV at 513-733-5775 or contact@ccv.org. For media inquiries, email media@ccv.org.
As Ohio's largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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