Sportsbooks will be able to go live for the first time in Ohio at midnight on January 1, 2023. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Final start time
The Ohio Casino Control Commission has revealed that retail and online sportsbooks will begin accepting bets as soon as the clock strikes midnight on January 1, 2023. The state’s gambling regulator announced the official start time for Ohio’s legal betting market at a meeting on Wednesday.
Once the ball falls in Times Square, sports can begin.”
Ohio Casino Control Commission CEO Matthew Schuler explained the reason behind the launch in the middle of the night. “The logical way to do that quite clearly,” he said, “is that once the ball drops in Times Square, the sports can begin.”
Getting ready to go
Schuler revealed that the regulator has already received 850 betting license applications since opening the operation. There are only 65 licenses offered for acquisition in Ohio, of which 40 cover retail sports books and 25 sports books online. The deadline for second-tier operator licenses expires on August 15.
Make sure they tick all the organizational boxes
After launching at midnight, Ohio bettors will place their bets on a batch of college football games scheduled for New Year’s Day. However, if operators and owners want to participate, they will have to make sure that they check all the regulatory boxes before the launch date.
At a meeting of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, chief technology and gaming officer Chris Flenor revealed that the state will launch an online platform where problem gamblers can voluntarily exclude themselves. The live stream will start at least one month before the sportsbook launches.
long time coming
Efforts to introduce sports betting to Ohio began in 2018. Ohio’s governor formally signed sports betting legislation into law in December 2021. However, it took a long time to establish rules and regulations, as state authorities finally began the licensing process.
States bordering Ohio such as West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Michigan already have sportsbooks in operation.
It looks like all major American sports operators will be seeking an Ohio license. Since it is the seventh most populous state in the country and has a large number of sports fans, Ohio is expected to boast a potentially large market.
