Ohio bans a bettor accused of threatening Blue Jays manager John Schneider during the World Series

Ohio gaming regulators on Wednesday banned a bettor accused of making violent threats against Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider during the 2025 World Series.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission placed Blake Morgan of Thornville, Ohio on the state's sports gaming involuntary exclusion list. People on the list are barred from all state gaming facilities and from the state's legal betting market.

Morgan denied making the threats when reached by phone. He said he filed an appeal after the commission notified him in March, but records show he did not appear at a June hearing on his case.

The call to MLB

According to commission records, Morgan called Major League Baseball's customer service line around Oct. 28, the night of Game 4 of the World Series between the Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The call lasted nearly 14 minutes.

In a recording included in the records, the caller accused Schneider of lying at a news conference about whether he planned to walk Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in Game 4. "That was a gambling grab. This game is not legit," the caller said.

The caller went on to threaten Schneider on live TV and said, "We've got his address, we've got all of his information."

MLB investigators traced the call to Morgan. According to testimony in the records, he admitted to an MLB security official that he gambled and made the call because he was angry about Schneider's comments, but said he had no plans to travel to Toronto or Los Angeles.

MLB banned Morgan from its venues and events indefinitely two days after the game. The local sheriff's department also spoke with him and it is not clear whether any criminal charges were filed.

A growing problem

"We commend the final order by the Ohio Casino Control Commission," an MLB spokesperson said. "We will continue to work with regulators across the country to protect those who work in our industry from unacceptable threats." The Blue Jays declined to comment.

Leagues say gambling-related threats against players, coaches, officials and their families have risen as legal betting has spread. In September, MLB, the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS and WNBA wrote to state regulators urging action.

MLB security chief David Thomas told the commission in June that threats against players and their families have spiked since states began launching legal betting markets in 2018.

Ohio is one of a handful of states that let regulators act against gamblers who harass or threaten athletes. Morgan is the third person placed on its exclusion list.