KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The Ohio Casino Control Commission voted to ban a bettor who was found to have threatened harm against Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider.
- The Ohio resident accused Schneider of lying about plans to intentionally walk LA Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and stated that people had bet thousands of dollars on that premise.
- Major leagues and players associations urged state gaming regulators to toughen up on bettor abuse last month.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) voted on Wednesday to ban an Ohio resident from all in-person and online gambling in the state after an investigation found he made verbal threats against Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider during last year’s World Series.
An order signed by OCCC Chair Thomas Stickrath states that on or around Oct. 28, 2025, an Ohio resident named Blake Morgan made “threats of violence or harm” about Schneider while on the phone with Major League Baseball’s customer service line, related to Morgan’s betting activities.
Within days of the call, MLB banned Morgan indefinitely from all league facilities including stadiums. The OCCC held a hearing upon Morgan’s request and subsequently voted to add him to Ohio’s Sports Gaming Involuntary Exclusion List.
“Sports gaming should be conducted responsibly, and any act that threatens harm or violence against sports participants because of wagering will not be tolerated,” said OCCC Executive Director Andromeda Morrison. “The Commission remains committed to preserving the integrity of sports gaming in Ohio and will take appropriate action against individuals whose conduct violates Ohio law.”
Gambler accused Blue Jays manager of lying about Ohtani
The OCCC made a partially redacted recording of the call, which was placed around the time of Game 4 of the Blue Jays’ World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, available to SBC Americas.
During the call, Morgan accused Schneider of lying during a television interview about the Blue Jays’ plan to intentionally walk Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in every subsequent at-bat, and stated that because the Blue Jays went on to pitch to Ohtani, “this game is not legit.” He added that people wagered “multiple thousands of dollars” on the premise that Ohtani would not face pitches.
“That was a gambling grab,” he said. “This game is not legit. There’s shady, fake and disturbing behavior going on … You just made sportsbooks how many millions of dollars?” He also speculated that Schneider or his family were likely betting the under on the number of walks Ohtani would tally.
Morgan told the MLB customer service representative that “if you don’t handle it, the public will handle it” and claimed to know the Blue Jays manager’s home address and personal information.
“You want to see [Schneider] in the hospital and not be managing the rest of the World Series?” he asked. “… Do I need to go to the game and on live TV and knock the dude’s f—— head off right now on live TV?”
Leagues, player unions call on regulators to tackle betting abuse
MLB players previously raised concerns over betting-related abuse before, including with Commissioner Rob Manfred.
Last month, MLB was one of five major North American sports leagues, along with their respective players associations, that wrote to state gaming regulators across the U.S. to take measures such as issuing lifetime bans to combat abuse and harassment related to sports betting.
MLB co-signed a letter dated Sept. 15 along with:
- Major League Soccer and the MLSPA
- The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA)
- The NFL and the NFLPA
- The NHL and the NHLPA
The five leagues and players unions said players and staff face an “escalating threat” of continued harassment and violent threats. They called for regulators to respond with:
- Permanent bans for people found to have engaged in betting-related abuse or harassment
- Unified reporting framework for such incidents
- System wherein states share banned bettor lists
In this case, the OCCC said that MLB notified the commission of the incident and played a pivotal role in the investigation.
“Major League Baseball’s partnership was instrumental in bringing this matter before the Commission, and we appreciate MLB’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the game,” added Morrison.
MLBPA said MLB balked at prop bet ban
Meanwhile, the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) told members of Congress in August that MLB “balked” at the suggestion of a ban on prop bets.
MLBPA General Counsel Jeffrey Perconte wrote to federal legislators that the players association wanted to work with lawmakers and other parties to identify measures to “promote the safety and wellbeing of both our members and the public.”
He added that the MLBPA proposed a joint lobbying effort with MLB to ban prop bets and functionally similar prediction markets based on players’ in-game performance, in a bid to curb bet markets that might contribute to “an epidemic of harassment and abuse” directed toward MLB players and their families.
“MLB has thus far balked, but negotiations remain ongoing and players intend to continue to push this proposal,” wrote Perconte.
