Ohio Bill Would Ban Election Betting And Prediction Markets
An Ohio state senator has introduced a bill that would make betting on elections prohibited gambling in the state, a move that would also reach prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
Senate Bill 479, filed this month by Democrat Bill DeMora of Columbus, arrives as millions of dollars flow into contracts on Ohio's own governor and Senate races.
The proposal lands in the middle of a wider fight over who regulates event contracts in the state. Last week's federal appeals court ruling, which our earlier report covered as the Sixth Circuit backing Ohio's right to regulate Kalshi, has given state officials fresh confidence that these platforms fall under gambling law.
What Senate Bill 479 Would Do
The bill is short. According to the Ohio General Assembly's bill page, it amends section 2915.01 of the Revised Code to specify that betting on elections constitutes prohibited gambling. The introduced text adds election gambling to the list of activities that count as a scheme of chance under the state's gambling chapter.
DeMora is joined by three Democratic cosponsors, Senators Antonio, Blackshear and Weinstein. The legislature's tracker shows the bill has only been introduced in the Senate. It has not been assigned a hearing date or passed any chamber, so it has a long way to go before it could become law.
DeMora told WCMH-TV in Columbus that anything undermining confidence in election results is a problem, and that Ohioans should not be betting on those outcomes. If the bill passes, he said, the ban would extend to prediction markets.
Money Already Flowing Into Ohio Races
The senator's timing reflects the scale of activity. WCMH reported that, as of October 27, Kalshi users had wagered $5.2 million on Ohio's governor race and $8.6 million on its Senate race. On Polymarket the totals were $1 million on the governor race and $1.8 million on the Senate race.
DeMora raised an integrity concern. In theory, he said, someone could place a bet on a contest and then donate heavily to the candidate to improve the odds. He acknowledged that this would be unlikely to swing a major statewide race that has already attracted large sums, but argued that in a smaller congressional or statehouse contest, a few million dollars could matter far more.
He said 32 states already ban gambling on elections, and he wants Ohio to be the 33rd. For readers following the national picture, our explainer on which states ban election betting before the midterms sets out how those rules differ.
Part Of A Broader Prediction Market Fight
The election ban is only part of what DeMora wants. He also called for tougher regulation of prediction markets overall, arguing that the state is losing millions of dollars in unpaid taxes and licensing fees because platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket operate outside the regulated system.
Ohio's Casino Control Commission oversees the state's casinos and its legal betting channels, including online sports gaming. Sportsbook operators must pay initial licence fees that range from $50,000 to $2.5 million depending on the licence type, a cost that prediction market platforms do not currently bear in the state.
The conflict is escalating on several fronts. Kalshi has asked for a rehearing after the Sixth Circuit ruled that Ohio can regulate prediction markets like gambling. Governor Mike DeWine has said the platforms are trying to get around gambling law and that it is clear this is gambling. State licensees also face a deadline on cutting ties with prediction market operators by October 30.
What Happens Next
For now the bill is a marker rather than a near-term change. Ohio's legislature has other priorities, and any election-betting ban would face lobbying from platforms that argue federal commodities law governs their contracts. The outcome of Kalshi's rehearing request in the Sixth Circuit will also shape how much appetite lawmakers have to act.
Ohio bettors can continue to use licensed sportsbooks. Any ban on election contracts would apply only if the bill clears both chambers and receives the governor's signature.
Refer to Cashback Terms & Conditions for full program terms.
