Ohio gambling expansion raises consumer protection concerns after troubling safety scorecard

Ohio’s online gambling market may be booming, but a new national scorecard suggests consumer protections are lagging behind the industry’s rapid growth. A report from the Consumer & Society for Public Research (CASPR) gave Ohio a “D” grade and a score of 57 out of 100, placing the state 23rd nationwide for online gambling safety and regulatory strength.

Researchers say the grade reflects a gap between how easy it is to place a bet and the rules meant to protect people from financial harm or addiction.