DOJ Claims Former Speaker of the House at Center of Ohio Sports Betting Pay-To-Play Scheme

An Ohio politician is accused by the U.S. Justice Department of bribery in trying to bring legalized sports betting to the Buckeye State.

The former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is facing federal charges for his alleged role in the $60 million scheme centered around FirstEnergy and House Bill 6.

Also charged in the matter, a one-time Ohio lobbyist who committed suicide in 2021.

The DOJ alleges that Neil Clark interacted with undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen to expedite the legislative process for sports betting in Ohio in bakc in 2019.

The DOJ added that Clark instructed the undercover agents to pay $50,000 to $100,000, which would eventually end up going to Householder and his associates through his dark money account.

"Nobody knows the money goes to the Speaker's account," Clark told the undercover agents, according to court papers.

This is not Householder's first rodeo when it comes to running afoul of the Department of Justice.

In 2020, he was charged in a federal racketeering conspiracy involving approximately $60 million paid to a 501(c)(4) entity to pass and uphold a billion-dollar nuclear plant bailout.

It was alleged then that Householder conspired to violate the racketeering statute through honest services wire fraud, receipt of millions of dollars in bribes and money laundering.

Four other individuals were also arrested and charged. They include: Mathew Borges, of Bexley, a lobbyist who previously served as chair of the Ohio Republican Party; Jeffrey Longstreth, of Columbus, Householder’s longtime campaign and political strategist; and Juan Cespedes, of Columbus, a multi-client lobbyist.

Clark was also charged as part of that investigation.

Sports betting was slated to start in Ohio next month (January 2023) with some 3,000 license applications anticipated.

That sounds like a crazy number.

"We’re going to need to do all of those investigations to issue those licenses and then make sure they’re in compliance with all of the rules and regulations," spokeswoman Jessica Franks said.  "We’re going to need all of that time right up until January.”

Last week, reports surfaced that sports betting could be launched as early as October of this year.  That's not happening, according to Franks.

Ohio bettors will not be able to bet on NFL and College Football games this upcoming season.  Well, at least not with any state regulated apps. 

If gamblers in the state are lucky their beloved Ohio State Buckeyes will make it into the Playoffs.  Those hopes are still alive despite the first loss of the season to rival Michigan this past Saturday.  It wasn't just a loss, it was a 22-point home shellacking.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com