Time Out Ohio: Here’s how to ban yourself from sports gambling in Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Legal sports gambling is almost here in Ohio. But if you’re suffering from a gambling addiction or just don’t want to be tempted to place bets, there’s a way to ban yourself from any wagering.

Time Out Ohio is a new initiative from the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Lottery Commission, which will let people exclude themselves from all legal gambling. The program is ready to use.

Those who are interested can visit timeoutohio.com.

If you have questions and need to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700.

Banning yourself from gambling is not new. Before Time Out Ohio, the casino and lottery commissions had a voluntary exclusion program that would let people ban themselves from the state’s four casinos and seven racinos. As of early December, about 4,500 people were in the program.

But starting Jan. 1, gambling will be available at sportsbooks, bars, grocery stores and on cell phones. Jessica Franks, a spokesperson for the Ohio Casino Control Commission, said the program needed to expand now that betting in Ohio is becoming more readily available.

And since you can place bets on your phone, you also need to be able to ban yourself on your mobile device, she said.

“We wanted to be able to meet people where they are,” Franks said.

In the past, people had to sign up in person. Remote options later opened after the COVID-19 pandemic. People can still sign up in person at the casinos and racinos.

Time Out Ohio will ban those who sign up for it from all legal gambling in the state — including the traditional gambling at the casinos and the sports bet made on phones or on betting kiosks.

Many of the companies, like casinos and racinos, offer both types of betting. So, Time Out Ohio can’t ban someone from just sports betting or just traditional casino gambling, Franks said.

The gambling companies may decide to ban people from all of their properties, Franks said. So, if residents sign up for Time Out Ohio, they could be banned from a casino in Las Vegas or from using a sports-betting app in another state.

Bans must be voluntary, and they last for one year, five years or a lifetime. Those who sign up will stay on the exclusion list until they request to be removed from it.

If you sign up for a one- or five-year ban, you can’t unban yourself until the time is up. People who sign up for a lifetime ban must wait at least five years before taking themselves off the list.

While the casinos, racinos and sports-betting apps will try to stop residents who sign up from betting, there’s no way to guarantee they won’t physically get into a casino or find a way to place bets. If a banned person does place a bet, there could be consequences.

Any prize or money won by people who banned themselves, but placed a bet anyway, will be confiscated and turned over to a fund for problem gambling. According to the Time Out Ohio website, those who ban themselves but go into a gambling establishment may be charged with criminal trespassing.

To sign up, people will need to submit personal information, a government-issued ID and a photo of themselves.

Those who enrolled in the voluntary exclusion program, and were already banned from casinos and racinos, will need to reenroll to ban themselves from sports gambling.

Ohio lawmakers created three kinds of sports gambling. There will be Las Vegas-style sportsbooks, mobile-betting apps and gaming kiosks that can be found in bars, bowling alleys and even grocery stores.

All three options will be available in Cuyahoga County, leaving people 21 and over with more than 100 in-person options and more than 20 apps they can use.

Sean McDonnell covers business and consumer topics for cleveland.com. You can reach him at [email protected] Read previous stories at this link. Also:

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