Sports betting, harassment in Ohio affecting college athletes

(WJW) – Less than a month into legalized sports betting in Ohio, the Casino Control Commission kicked off its first meeting of the year with a warning for some betters.

The executive director of the Casino Control Commission warned there could be repercussions for certain behavior, including a ban from betting in Ohio.

All 14 of Ohio’s public colleges and universities were against betting on college games.

University of Dayton coach Anthony Grant is one of many who was against betting on college sports from the very beginning.

After hateful messages were sent to players after a close loss, Grant got emotional during his postgame news conference. He addressed tweets and hate messages sent to his players from gamblers who are upset about their losses.

The conference came days after the flyers fell to Virginia Commonwealth University in a 63-62 loss.

Messages posted on Twitter targeted players and accused them of fixing the game. Grant said it sickens him to see fans targeting 18-22-year-old men.

The Casino Control Commission responded by warning betters that they can’t control their speech. However, they can control whether they are allowed to bet in the state.

The Casino Control Commission has the authority to put people on an exclusion list and prohibit them from placing legal bets in Ohio.