Ohio Casino Control Commission Bans Bettor for Threats Against Blue Jays Manager

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) voted Wednesday to ban Blake Morgan, an Ohio resident, from all in-person and online gambling in the state. An investigation determined that Morgan made threats of violence or harm against Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider during last year’s World Series.

The OCCC order, signed by Chair Thomas Stickrath, states the threats occurred on or around Oct. 28, 2025. Morgan made the statements in a call to Major League Baseball’s customer service line tied to his betting activities. Major League Baseball banned Morgan indefinitely from all league facilities shortly after the call. The OCCC held a hearing at Morgan’s request before placing him on the state’s Sports Gaming Involuntary Exclusion List.

Details of the Call and Specific Threats

A partially redacted recording of the call, made available to SBC Americas, captures Morgan accusing Schneider of lying in a television interview about intentionally walking Shohei Ohtani in every subsequent at-bat during Game 4 of the Blue Jays’ series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Morgan claimed the Blue Jays instead pitched to Ohtani, stating “this game is not legit.” He said people wagered “multiple thousands of dollars” on the premise that Ohtani would not face pitches.

Morgan told the representative “if you don’t handle it, the public will handle it” and claimed knowledge of Schneider’s home address. He asked, “You want to see [Schneider] in the hospital and not be managing the rest of the World Series?” and inquired, “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?” Andromeda Morrison, OCCC executive director, stated that sports gaming must be conducted responsibly “and any act that threatens harm or violence against sports participants because of wagering will not be tolerated.”

Leagues Seek Stronger Action on Bettor Abuse

The OCCC said MLB notified the commission and played a pivotal role in the investigation. Morrison added that “Major League Baseball’s partnership was instrumental in bringing this matter before the Commission.”

This action follows a Sept. 15 letter from five major North American leagues and players associations to U.S. state gaming regulators. The signatories included Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and the MLSPA, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, the NFL and the NFLPA, and the NHL and the NHLPA. The letter cited an escalating threat of harassment and violent threats and called for permanent bans, a unified reporting framework, and shared lists of banned bettors. The MLB Players Association separately told Congress in August that it proposed a ban on prop bets to MLB, which it said had balked at the suggestion.

Reporting: SBC Americas

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