Ohio Regulators Set October 30 Deadline for Prediction Market Exits

The Ohio Casino Control Commission has directed sports betting and fantasy sports licensees to cease providing services to prediction market operators in the state by October 30. This directive, issued on October 20, follows earlier cease-and-desist orders sent to ten prediction market operators.

What Happened

Ohio’s gambling regulator, the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), issued a directive on October 20, requiring sports betting and fantasy sports licensees to terminate all services to prediction market operators offering sports event contracts within the state by October 30. This mandate extends beyond direct operators to include suppliers, integrity monitors, testing laboratories, and other licensed businesses within Ohio’s gambling sector, according to iGaming Today.

The latest directive follows cease-and-desist orders issued by the OCCC on October 2 to ten prediction market operators. These companies, including Underdog, Gemini Titan, Coinbase, Prophet X, Novig, Robinhood, Polymarket, Plus500, Moomoo, and Webull, were initially instructed to cease offering sports event contracts in Ohio by October 16. With that deadline now passed, the Commission has indicated its intention to pursue action against non-compliant operators, as reported by iGaming Today.

Key Details

• The Ohio Casino Control Commission issued the directive on October 20, setting a compliance deadline of October 30 for all affected licensees (iGaming Today).
• The order applies to sports betting and fantasy sports licensees, as well as their suppliers, integrity monitors, and testing laboratories (iGaming Today).
• Earlier cease-and-desist orders were sent to ten prediction market operators on October 2, with a compliance deadline of October 16 (iGaming Today).
• Major operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics currently manage both sports betting and prediction market operations in Ohio (iGaming Today).
• The OCCC maintains that offering sports event contracts in Ohio constitutes sports gaming and necessitates a state license (iGaming Today).
• A September ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed Ohio’s authority to enforce its sports gaming laws, stating that sports event contracts are not swaps under exclusive federal jurisdiction (storage.courtlistener.com, iGaming Today).
• Andromeda Morrison, the OCCC’s interim executive director, stated that continued support for unregulated gaming through prediction markets could affect licensees’ future and ongoing suitability (iGaming Today).
• Licensees must notify the Commission of their compliance by October 30 and maintain records supporting their response; non-compliance may lead to suitability investigations and regulatory actions, including license denial, non-renewal, suspension, or revocation (iGaming Today).

Why It Matters

The OCCC’s consistent stance since early 2025 emphasizes that sports event contracts offered to Ohio residents fall under sports gaming and require state licensing. This regulatory action is reinforced by a September ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which concluded that sports event contracts are not federally regulated swaps, thereby preserving Ohio’s authority to enforce its own sports gaming statutes, according to iGaming Today. The Commission has also expressed concerns that affiliations with prediction market operators could undermine confidence in the state’s regulated gambling market.

While legislative efforts, including Senate Bill 430 introduced in April to regulate sports event contracts as sports betting, have been discussed, the OCCC has prioritized direct regulatory enforcement. This bill would require operators to obtain an Ohio sports betting license, pay a 20% betting tax, and adhere to regulations concerning advertising, player protection, self-exclusion, and a minimum gambling age of 21. Another proposed bill aims to prohibit election-related prediction market contracts. Estimates suggest Ohio could be foregoing between $80 million and $100 million in revenue from current prediction market activities, according to iGaming Today.

What’s Next

For now, the OCCC is focused on enforcement. The latest directive mandates that any licensee providing support services to prediction market operators offering sports event contracts in Ohio must cease these activities immediately. All affected licensees are required to inform the Commission of their compliance by October 30 and retain documentation to support their responses. Failure to comply may initiate suitability investigations and could result in regulatory penalties, such as license denial, non-renewal, suspension, or revocation, as reported by iGaming Today.