Ohio Sports Betting to Launch Around Jan. 1, Regulators Say
Jason Miller/Getty Images. Pictured: Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Ohio will begin legal sports betting around the start of the new year, according to Matt Schuler, the executive director of the state's Casino Control Commission.
The "universal start date" for apps to launch and casinos to take first bets is still being determined, though it will likely be close to if not exactly January 1, 2023, Schuler said at a Commission meeting Wednesday.
That's not shocking considering January is the deadline for legal betting to start under the bill signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine in late 2021, though some had hoped for a launch in time for football season.
State Sen. Kirk Schuring said during a May interview on 1480 WHBC, Canton's local news station, that Ohio could launch sometime in the Fall. Around the same time Sen. Niraj Antani told the Dayton Daily News apps would be up and running by late October or early November.
Simultaneous Launch
It's the largest simultaneous launch of sports gaming in the United States according to an FAQ on the commission's website. All online apps, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and kiosks at bars and taverns will be able to go live the same day.
The application window for sports betting licenses opens June 15 and lasts until July 15. Licenses for kiosks at places with retail liquor licenses will be available for an extra month, after which winners will be announced.
More Than 40 Online Sportsbooks
Ohio's sports betting law allows for up to 46 online sportsbooks, as 21 of the maximum 25 license holders may partner with up to two operators. The other four can contract with just one per license.
Casinos, racetracks and pro sports teams can all apply, though they must all hold brick-and-mortar licenses, for which up to 40 will be issued.
Fubo Gaming and Bally Bet have already partnered with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Browns.
Schuler will reveal the exact date at the commission's next meeting in June. Until then, four of Ohio's five border states will be happy to take their bets and tax revenue. Sports betting is legal and live in Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
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