Ohio gambling regulators have instructed all licensed sportsbooks in the state to stop accepting wagers on college baseball games involving the University of Alabama. This comes after suspicious betting activity was detected on the Crimson Tide’s game against top-ranked Louisiana State University (LSU) on Friday. The Louisiana Gaming Control Board reported that two specific bets, both made in Cincinnati, Ohio, triggered the suspicious activity alert. One was on a parlay which involved the LSU-Alabama game, and the other was a straight-up (money line) bet. The halt on wagering typically happens on a state-by-state basis as there is no national gaming regulator.
The directive was issued by Ohio Casino Control Commission executive director Matthew T. Schuler in response to a report from an independent integrity monitor. The emergency order prohibits « the acceptance of any wagers on University of Alabama baseball effective immediately. » Sportsbook FanDuel has removed Alabama baseball games from its betting menu in all jurisdictions as a precautionary measure. Jessica Franks, director of communications for the Ohio Casino Control Commission, said the suspicious wagering activity took place at the BetMGM sportsbook located at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
The Tigers were around -245 favorites over the Crimson Tide in the game in question. LSU led Alabama 8-1 after seven innings and held off a late rally by the Crimson Tide for an 8-6 victory on Friday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While no further details have been provided about the suspicious wagering, MGM has stated that they are working closely with their suspicious activity monitoring provider, US Integrity, regulatory bodies, and law enforcement when necessary.
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