By John Hilber / Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State NewsLab-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

In the first two days after sports betting was legalized, Ohio saw over 11.3 million bets placed - nearly one for every Ohio resident, according to the Cincinnati Bar Association.

Within a year, Ohioans had bet $7.65 billion on sports.

Sports betting became legal in Ohio effective Jan. 1, 2023. Since then, sports betting has driven a significant increase in state tax revenue and sports viewership - along with reports of problem gambling, experts say.

"The number one driver [of legalizing sports gambling] is a tax revenue opportunity," said Stephen Shapiro, a professor in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina. "In states where it is not legal, it's illegal gambling, and the state is seeing no benefit from that. So that's revenue that did not exist before, and it could be used for a variety of benefits for the state."

In 2023, Ohio collected more than $936 million in tax revenue from sports betting. Gamblers have to pay a 10% tax on all winnings. According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, the state uses the taxes to fund different Gross Casino Revenue Funds and efforts to help with gambling problems.

Apps like FanDuel and DraftKings facilitate many sports bets in the 38 states that have legalized it. By using apps, gamblers aren't limited to traditional bets on the margin of victory or bets on who wins or loses outright - they have many options per sporting event, like multi-stage parlays, event-based bets and individual performance bets.

"Traditionally, someone could have bet on this game, and they watch the game in its entirety, and they win or lose based on the outcome and the score - it's one bet," Shapiro said. "Now, in this particular game, the Packers get the ball, and they drive down the field and score a touchdown, and there were 20 opportunities to bet during that one drive."

Gambling means more people watching sports, experts say

Now legal in most of the United States, sports betting has shown some benefits for professional sports leagues.

"People are definitely watching sports that they have not watched before due to gambling - there is no question about it," Shapiro said. "It leads to more consumption and consumption of sports that you're not typically watching."

That may be because gambling can heighten viewers' excitement.

"Gambling, for the most part, provides people with the opportunity to get excited because of the possibility of winning," said James Whelan, a research professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Memphis. "There are social reasons to gamble, but in the end, the idea of doing something risky is getting rewarded by winning money,"

Ted Baugh, the vice president of Corporate Partnerships and Premium Hospitality for the Cleveland Guardians, said Major League Baseball is trying to help everyone associated with the sport navigate legal gambling, including players and fans alike.

"It is constant education," he said. "It is constant reminding that it is legal, but don't be stupid. It is more about what is good for the fan and what is legal."

As gambling expands, so does problem gambling

According to Ohio for Responsible Gambling, the Problem Gambling Helpline in Ohio received 10,637 calls in 2023 compared to 6,835 in 2022.

"Everybody with a gambling problem comes at it a little differently," Whelan said. "For many of these people, there are other things going on in their life that also feed into why they may become overly involved in gambling, even though gambling is harmful to them."

Whelan encourages gamblers to monitor themselves by asking, in part: "When am I in harm's way? When am I getting hurt by this, and I need to back off?"

Whelan said the majority of people who want to control their gambling can benefit from cognitive-behavioral intervention treatments. Cognitive-behavioral therapy aims to change a patient's behavior by changing how the patient thinks about the actions.

"Have a good time, enjoy yourself, set limits and stick with them," Whelan said.


This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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Supporters of a new wage equity law in Massachusetts say it will help close the state's gender and racial wage gap. Starting next year, companies with more than 25 employees must disclose a salary range for all posted positions.

Kimberly Borman, executive director of the Boston Women's Workforce Council, said wage transparency not only benefits women and people of color, who are often paid less than their coworkers, but their employers as well.

"If you never put out there what you can pay, you're going to get a lot of people who are kicking the tires and then you may like them and you get to a point you can't hire them because you just don't have the money," she said.

Borman said the new requirements build on a 2016 law that prohibits wage discrimination based on gender. Massachusetts is now the eleventh state to mandate pay transparency.

The new law also requires larger companies to share their federal wage and workforce data with the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to help identify where wage gaps remain. In Greater Boston, a 2023 report found the gender wage gap was 21 cents, and for Black women it was 54 cents. Borman says the new law will help Massachusetts remain competitive with other states and better able to recruit and retain top talent.

"So, we're losing good talent because they don't believe that they're going to be paid fairly or be promoted to the positions that they should be promoted to and earn the kind of money that they need to stay in this city," she continued.

Borman said a recent survey by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce found one in four residents ages 20 to 30 plans to leave the state in the next five years due to the lack of job availability and high housing costs.


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New Yorkers could see relief from medical debt if several national proposals move forward.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a new rule to eliminate medical debt from credit reports. Studies show medical debt does not predict whether a person can pay down a debt.

An Urban Institute report finds more than 740,000 New Yorkers have medical debt.

Ursula Rozum, health care campaign lead for the group Citizen Action of New York, said the change can remove the punitive aspects of medical debt.

"What we're talking about is relief for the 15 million Americans that have medical debt," Rozum pointed out. "As well as people who we know are skipping care or delaying care 'cause they're scared of the debt and what impact it would have on their lives."

Vice President Kamala Harris is supporting the bureau's proposal while considering other ways to cancel medical debt. Congressional Republicans such as Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., oppose the proposed change. Several House GOP members signed a letter to the bureau saying its proposed rule can negatively affect credit access and affordability for all consumers.

New York passed legislation prohibiting medical debt from being reported to credit agencies but it has not stopped medical debt disparities.

Christine Chen Zinner, senior policy counsel for the advocacy group Americans for Financial Reform, said communities of color often have the highest medical debt rates for many reasons.

"Black and Latine families are more likely to have jobs without access to health insurance, and so that would drive up medical debt," Zinner explained. "There's also been disparate health treatments for these communities."

Other causes for medical debt include growing facility fees. While New York passed legislation to reform the fees, studies show they are a bulk of what patients pay for. Between 2004 and 2021, facility fees grew 531%, surpassing professional fees for certain emergency department services.

As the Inflation Reduction Act marks its second anniversary, Ohio communities are seeing changes spurred by investments in clean energy and infrastructure.

The federal climate package, including funding in the act, has injected billions into regions like Appalachia, aiming to revive local economies by transitioning former coal areas into clean energy hubs.

Dana Kuhnline, senior program director for the nonprofit ReImagine Appalachia, noted the investments are making a difference in the region.

"Communities across the Ohio River Valley region of Appalachia are beginning to reimagine themselves as leaders of a new clean economy," Kuhnline explained. "And see their place in a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable future."

The progress in the Ohio River Valley reflects broader trends in Appalachia, with projects like Ohio's Fox Squirrel Solar and Oak Run sites playing a significant role. The initiatives, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act, are contributing to reduced carbon emissions and creating union jobs, which could provide a boost to local economies.

Kuhnline pointed out it is just the beginning, with additional incentives and programs expected to encourage further growth.

However, the continuation of the efforts relies on sustained federal support. While the legislation has set the stage for economic transition in Ohio and Appalachia, there is concern about maintaining momentum. Kuhnline underscored the need for ongoing investment to ensure communities can continue moving toward a cleaner, more prosperous future.

"Incredible things happen when Ohio communities and Appalachian communities have the funds and the capacity to put their visions into action," Kuhnline contended. "A lot of times, you know, we have the ideas, we have the people, folks are ready to work. We just need that catalyst that makes this possible."

She added there is hope the Inflation Reduction Act will lead to lasting economic improvements in the region. Projects like Cleveland-Cliffs' $575 million Middletown Works facility demonstrate the potential effect of the investments. However, Kuhnline stressed, the long-term success of Ohio's clean energy efforts will largely depend on continued federal commitment.