Ohio Sports Betting Going Live on Jan. 1

An official date has been set for sports betting to launch in Ohio.

Ohio sports betting will go live on Jan. 1, 2023, Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Matt Schuler announced during meeting on Wednesday.

“This date was chosen to give all stakeholders time to start offering gaming on the same date,” Schuler said during the meeting. “It’s a statutory requirement, so this would include businesses looking to offer online gaming, sports gaming at brick and mortar sports gaming facilities, as well as kiosks and bars and taverns across Ohio.

“Leading up to the universal start date, prospective licensees will be completing build outs or buildings, distributing kiosks, hiring and training employees, obtaining partners and making all of the other necessary arrangements to begin offering sports gaming from the very same starting line.”

Largest US Launch Ever

Officials previously set Jan. 1 as the deadline for sports betting to launch in the state, and the Commission said on May 18 that, “stakeholders should anticipate the Universal Start Date will be close to January 1, 2023.”

When sports betting launches on Jan. 1, it will “represent the largest expansion of gaming in Ohio’s history and the largest ever simultaneous launch of sports gaming in the United States,” Schuler said. The Commission will provide updates to its website and other resources as regulators and prospective betting operators move toward launch.

During the meeting, officials shared an implementation timeline for sports gaming, with final versions of applications being made available June 1, and the first application window for certain stakeholders opening June 15.

After the windows for the two application periods close, the compliance document window will close on Nov. 2, the same date as the employee application deadline. The equipment verification date is on Dec. 2, all leading up to the universal launch date on Jan. 1.

Still Work To Be Done

Officials have plenty to check off their to-do list in preparing for sports betting to launch in Ohio.

“According to industry estimates, this will necessitate detailed due diligence investigations,” Schuler said, “as well as comprehensive compliance examinations of approximately 3,000 licensees ahead of (the start date).”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed sports betting into law in December 2021, paving the way for regulators to begin work on a launch. The Commission already set fees that companies will need to pay in order to get a sports betting license.

For a Type A license, applicants must pay a $150,000 fee. Such licenses allow companies to run at least one mobile sports betting app. For a Type B license, which is for retail operations, applicants must pay a fee of $20,000.

Local Sports Aplenty

There will be plenty for bettors to wager on once Ohio sports gambling does go live, including local sports. The state boasts multiple professional sports franchises in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, as well as one of college athletics’ top brands in Ohio State. The state is expected to allow bets on college sports, a luxury not permitted in some other areas.

Though Jan. 1 is still over half a year away, Ohio residents and prospective betting operators no longer have to question when sports betting will launch. It’s now just a waiting game for the new year to come around.