Ohio’s Casino Control Commission has placed Blake Morgan of Thornville on its Sports Gaming Involuntary Exclusion List, barring him from sports gambling and casino facilities in the state after allegations that he threatened Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider over a World Series betting dispute.
The commission acted on Oct. 21. Morgan was the 13th person added to the list, according to The Repository, and the commission’s rules prohibit excluded people from entering Ohio casinos or participating in sports gaming. Ohio Casino Control Law allows involuntary exclusion of people who threaten the integrity of casino or sports gaming.
The case arose from a phone call to Major League Baseball concerning Schneider’s handling of Shohei Ohtani during the 2025 World Series between the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Ohio commission’s account, reported by The Repository, placed the alleged threat on Oct. 28, 2025, after Game 3. Casino.org described the episode as occurring during Game 4.
The caller alleged that Schneider had said before the game that he would intentionally walk Ohtani, then chose to pitch to him instead. He said people had wagered thousands of dollars based on recordings of Schneider’s comments and accused Schneider and his family of profiting from inside betting information. There was no evidence supporting the allegations of match-fixing or improper betting profits.
In the alleged 14-minute tirade, Morgan threatened to assault Schneider at a later World Series game in view of television cameras. The caller also said he had Schneider’s address and personal information, and warned that the public would act if MLB did not intervene.
MLB traced the call to Morgan, who initially acknowledged making it and said he was angry over Schneider’s remarks. He said he did not intend to travel to Toronto or Los Angeles to confront the manager. MLB banned him indefinitely from its venues and events two days after the game.
Morgan later denied making threats. He subsequently told MLB that a visitor or family member at his home had used his phone; during another call, he suggested an AI bot had made them. The Ohio commission sent its exclusion notice on March 13, and Morgan requested a hearing but did not attend the June 26 proceeding in Columbus.
MLB notified the commission and supplied testimony and evidence. David Thomas, MLB’s security chief, told regulators that threats against players, coaches and their families had risen since states began legalizing sports betting in 2018. In September, six major sports leagues urged gambling regulators to take stronger action against abusive bettors.
Ohio introduced regulatory powers specifically directed at threatening bettors in 2023, Casino.org reported. Andromeda Morrison said MLB’s involvement had been instrumental in bringing the matter before the commission and that threats of harm or violence against sports participants because of wagering would not be tolerated.
It remained unclear whether Morgan faced criminal charges after the local sheriff’s department spoke with him.
