Ohio Sports Betting Has Official Launch Date
The state of Ohio has officially announced a launch date for sports betting, and the announcement is not going to make bettors in the state happy. The Ohio Casino Control Commission made the date official on Wednesday, ending all hope that sportsbooks would be live before the start of the football season.
Ohio lawmakers were able to pass a sports betting bill back in 2021, and that law required the industry to be live by January 1, 2023 at the latest. That is now the official launch date as it is going to take the Casino Control Commission that long to get the industry established.
Both online and retail sports betting will be available in Ohio, and it has the potential to be a massive market. There could potentially be more than online sportsbooks in Ohio, and around that same number of retail sportsbooks available.
Because of the size of the state, and the professional sports teams available, Ohio is expected to attract the biggest sportsbooks. The Casino Control Commission has also been working on rules to govern the new industry, and it has taken longer than expected in that process.
Losing Out on Millions
By delaying the launch of sports betting until January 1, 2023, the state of Ohio is set to lose out on millions of dollars in revenue. Football is the biggest sport to wager on, and that includes both college and professional games.
Ohio will still be able to get that money back at some point, but both sports will nearly be completed by the time sportsbooks are ready to accept wagers. Professional sports teams in Ohio can also get in on the action, and some of those deals have already started to take place.
Sports betting kiosks will be set up throughout the state of Ohio as well, and bars and restaurants can apply for those licenses. Ohio is surrounding by states with legal sports betting, including some of the biggest in the industry.
Applicants Will Be Posted
Even though online sports betting won’t be available until 2023, bettors in the state will soon be able to know what online sportsbooks will be available. A new website will be available later this month, and it will be updated with all of the applicants and any companies that get approved for a license.
According to a recent update from the Casino Control Commission, it is expected to receive thousands of applications. The goal is to have as many of the possible operators ready to launch on January 1, but it’s unclear how feasible that might be.
BetJACK already offers some free-to-play games in the state of Ohio, and sports bettors will be able to create an account before the launch date. Other online sportsbooks will likely do the same later in the year so customers can begin betting on their account on the first day.
