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Matthew Schuler, a leading figure in shaping advertising standards for the US sports betting industry, is retiring from the Ohio Casino Control Commission. His departure has drawn recognition from the state Senate and regulators nationwide who have closely followed Ohio’s approach.
Schuler leaves as the legal sports betting industry continues growing across the country. His tenure at the OCCC coincided with Ohio’s market launch. He helped set the tone for promotional advertising standards during this critical period and led the body in enacting rules to protect college athletes.
Advertising rules that operators couldn’t ignore
Before Ohio opened its sports betting market on Jan. 1, 2023, most major sportsbooks were running national ad campaigns. At the time, operators did not want to rework their messaging for individual states. Ohio forced the issue.
Schuler’s commission drew a firm line on two specific words: “free” and “risk-free.” Neither could appear in any Ohio promotion that required a customer to deposit money or accept financial exposure. The industry had spent years using both terms loosely.
Enforcement was swift. Within days of the market opening, the OCCC fined BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings for violating those standards. The fines sent a signal to every other licensed operator.
Schuler explained his thinking to the Washington Post ahead of the launch.
“If an offer claims to be free or risk-free, it cannot require patrons to lose money or put their own funds at risk.”
Schuler was equally plain about disclosure tactics common in the industry.
“We do not support burying the truth in small print.”
His approach drew attention beyond Ohio. Several regulators from other states told him they regretted not adopting similar advertising rules earlier in their own markets.
Protecting college players
NCAA President Charlie Baker wrote to the OCCC in early 2024 requesting a ban to wagering on individual college athletes. Ohio wasted no time.
Within weeks, the OCCC announced that it was banning player prop bets on college athletes. Eight of the state’s licensed operators filed objections, but Schuler and the OCCC held ground.
Statistics helped justify the action. College player prop bets accounted for only 1.35% of Ohio’s total sports betting handle in 2023. The economic argument against it could not be sustained.
Ohio’s willingness to move quickly made it one of the first states to restrict this category of wagers. The NCAA continued pressing other states to act; only a handful of states followed Ohio’s lead.
The Kalshi confrontation
Prediction markets became a flashpoint across several state jurisdictions in the past year, and Ohio entered that fight head on.
The OCCC issued a $5 million fine against Kalshi in April for offering sports-based prediction contracts without authorization. The company had been operating in a regulatory space that Schuler and the commission viewed as falling within their jurisdiction.
Kalshi had already sued Ohio the previous October, after the OCCC issued a formal cease-and-desist order directing the company to halt its operations in the state. A federal district court denied the company’s request for a preliminary injunction, and the dispute has since escalated to the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, where it remains active.
A lasting legacy
Andromeda Morrison, the OCCC’s deputy executive director, will take up Schuler’s role on an interim basis starting June 1, according to Legal Sports Report. Morrison’s work as general counsel means she is familiar with the enforcement actions and policy decisions that defined Schuler’s tenure. How closely she follows the same regulatory philosophy will become clear over the coming months.
Schuler’s departure closes a chapter that began with a market launch and ended with Ohio carrying genuine influence in national sports betting policy. The state’s rules on promotional language have informed debates in other jurisdictions. The OCCC’s quick action banning player prop bets on college athletes placed Ohio at the forefront of the debate, one that continues across the country today.
Schuler’s steadfast leadership will be the defining quality of his time at the commission.
