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Ohio's Universities Tell Lawmakers To Deal Them Out Of Sports Betting Bills

Gaming floor of Jack Cleveland
Karen Kasler
Gaming floor of Jack Cleveland

Ohio lawmakers have introduced bills to legalize sports betting. But Ohio’s universities don’t want to be dealt in on those bills or any others that involve expanded sports gambling.

The President of the Inter-University Council of Ohio, Bruce Johnson, says leaders of state universities want college sports excluded from sports betting. 

“People who run athletics departments across the state feel very strongly that student athletes don’t need to be confronted with additional challenge of having gambling right down the street on their athletic events," Johnson says.

Johnson says the NCAA has strong rules preventing gambling on games by students and coaches. Because it can be tempting, he says legalized betting could increase the cost of compliance for colleges.

Copyright 2019 The Statehouse News Bureau

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.