The Ohio Sports Betting Market Will Official Begin on January 1, 2023
The Ohio Casino Control Commission will finally have a launch date for its sports betting market. The market will begin on the required start date of January 1, 2023, as Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law.
Sports Betting in the Buckeye State Will Start on the New Year
The lawmakers and everyone else involved believed that the sports betting operation would start earlier than New Year to meet the deadline. However, that will not be the case for the Buckeye State.
Sportsbook operators and bettors will miss the start of the NFL season, but the positive is residents will be able to partake in the action in games where teams battle for a playoff spot. Also, the Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl will be taking place on January 2, which is a highly viewed set of ball games.
Ohio is home to some of the most popular NFL teams and one of the greatest collegiate programs known as the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Vice President for Governmental Affairs, Stacy Rastaukas, wrote to the Commission two months ago, requesting that it consider the consequences of allowing sports wagering on college sports for student-athletes.
This wasn’t anything new, as many other states in the sports betting industry had that concern. Illinois only permits in-state college sports betting in casinos.
Bettors Won’t Be Able to Wager at the Start of the NFL Season, But this is a Monumental Step
The state also has two NFL teams that are looking to make some noise. The Cincinnati Bengals are looking to make it back to the Super Bowl as the team suffered a close loss to the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 23-20. Cleveland Browns have playoff aspirations after bringing in key players during the offseason.
The Gaming officials need time to resolve things so that the process leading up to the launch and following it is smooth sailing. The Casino Control Commission will also be launching a new website on June 15, which includes which bookmakers and other entities are applying to get a license in the state.
It is not possible to start around the beginning of the NFL season because gaming regulators must process 3,000 applications for both retail and online sports betting. The Ohio sports betting market will be one of the biggest launches in the industry’s history as it is the seventh most populous state in the country.
What Can We Expect from the Ohio Sports Betting Market Launch
Under the new law, there could be as many as 50 mobile bookmakers and 40 retail sportsbooks. That means most renowned sportsbook brands will be able to receive a license as it shows the market has a low barrier to entry.
Restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, and other places with liquor licenses will be able to have kiosks located inside their establishment. All retail and mobile sportsbooks that will receive licenses in the state must start on the same exact day, which is January 1, 2023. BetJACK has already compiled a database through its free-to-bet app.