Pete Rose, recipient of lifetime MLB ban for betting, places first legal sports bet in Ohio

Pete Rose, the all-time Major League Baseball hit king who received a lifetime ban from the sport for betting on games in which he managed, just placed the first legal sports bet in the history of the state of Ohio at Hard Rock Casino.

The Buckeye state’s new sports gambling law took effect on January 1, though Gov. Mike DeWine initially signed it back in December 2021. 

According to Spectrum News 1, George Goldhoff, property president of Hard Rock Casino, said: “Ohioans are crazy about their sports, they really love their sports, and we think it’s going to be quite popular.”

He added, “The money that was being bet by Ohioans, whether it was in Michigan or Indiana, is all going to stay here in the state and the taxpayers are gonna benefit.”

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After placing the bet, Rose said, “I don’t know a d–n thing about odds. Go Reds! Go Bengals!”

Back in August 1989, an investigation into Rose’s alleged gambling was completed. 

It was found that Rose bet on baseball games, and had bet specifically on at least 50 Reds games in 1987, at a minimum of $10,000 per day, according to Bleacher Report.

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For nearly 20 years, Rose then denied ever having bet on the sport. In 2004, however, he did finally reveal that he placed wagers.  

A one-time MVP award-winner, Rose holds the MLB record for most career hits (4,256), which he amassed over his 24-year big league career. 

Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” for his ferocious style of play, Rose spent the bulk of his career (19 years) playing for the Reds, with stops along the way for the Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos. 

Rose also holds the MLB all-time records for games played (3,562), plate appearances (15,890) and at-bats (14,053).