Ohio’s top gambling regulator has banned licensed sportsbooks in the state from accepting bets on Alabama baseball games following a report of suspicious betting activity. Matt Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, issued an emergency order on Tuesday, prohibiting the acceptance of any wagers on University of Alabama Football. The order was reported by ESPN and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday. The order also mentioned that a licensed independent security monitor alerted the state about the wagers. While it is legal to bet on sports in 33 states, it is unclear if any other states have issued similar orders. The Ohio commission spokesperson, Jessica Franks, stated that they are continuing to investigate the matter.
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According to ESPN, Las Vegas-based U.S. Integrity issued a warning to sportsbooks about suspicious wagering activity during Friday night’s Alabama-LSU game. Alabama scored five runs in the 9th inning to secure an 8-6 victory over LSU, which was ranked No. 1 in the major college football polls while Alabama was unranked.
“Alabama Athletics became aware of this situation Saturday evening and is actively seeking more information about the report,” said Deputy Athletics Director Jessica Paré in a statement.
The NCAA stated that it is aware of the matter and is actively gathering additional information.
U.S. Integrity declined to comment, and LSU did not respond to a request for comment.
NCAA rules prohibit athletes and athletic staff from betting on games “and from providing information to individuals involved in or associated with any sports wagering activities related to intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition.”
U.S. Integrity monitors data to identify discrepancies that may be related to exceptional player or coaching events, officiating abnormalities, or the misuse of insider information, according to its website.
Flagging bets like this often occurs when there are significant last-minute changes in the odds, especially in a game where one team is ranked higher than the other, explained attorney Baird Fogel, who has experience working with the gambling industry.
“In this case, the line, I think, moved very significantly, and the game took a very odd turn where the inferior team started to make a huge run,” said Fogel, co-head of global sports betting for Eversheds Sutherland. “This could be speculation, it could all be a coincidence. That’s the beauty of gambling. Sometimes odd things happen.”
Fanduel Sportsbook did not have any upcoming Alabama football games listed for betting on Tuesday.
“U.S. Integrity is one of the best in the game, so if they flagged an abnormality and found a disparity or some unusual activity, it’s a good idea to listen to them,” Fogel said.
