Ohio Sports Betting Update

There are more Ohio sports betting news coming out of the new midwest market every week. The first major news that fans had been waiting for is the announcement that sports betting will officially launch at 12:01 AM on Jan. 1, 2023. The Ohio sports betting launch date is set for New Year’s Day, making it an even more festive holiday than usual. Many sports fans will pop their champagne and pop out their cell phones to place their first bet.

The timing will allow the Buckeye fans to place at least one wager on football this year. Ohio State routinely gets to play in big-time bowl games that are played at the start of the new year.

What will Sports Betting in Ohio Look Like?

The Ohio sports betting news coming out of the state has had some exciting developments or revelations on the format of their sports betting availability. First off, it will be one of the first states to have lottery kiosks that will allow for sports betting at grocery stores, restaurants, bars, and other numerous locations where lottery kiosks currently exist.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has started to announce which sports betting applications have been approved. The application window closed this past summer and licenses are starting to be awarded to different businesses and operators.

In order to be ready to launch on Jan. 1, 2023 with the rest of the state, these operators will need to be granted conditional approval and submit all the necessary business documentation and plans. Ohio sports betting licenses are rolling out weekly, below are some of the sports betting operators that have received conditional approval.

• DraftKings Ohio
• BetMGM Ohio
• Hard Rock Digital
• Tipico Ohio
• BetRivers
• FanDuel Ohio
• Barstool Sportsbook Ohio
• Bet365 Ohio
• Caesars Ohio
• Fanatics Ohio
• Betway Ohio
• Betfred Ohio
• Prophet Exchange
• Superbook Ohio

With the Majority, if not all, expecting to be approved, there obviously will be plenty of options for Ohio sports bettors.

Ohio Professional Sports Teams Licenses

On top of the sportsbooks having to apply for licenses, any professional sports team or casino that wants to have a retail sportsbook also has to apply for a sports betting license. Out of the teams that have applied, there is already a long-running list of teams that have been approved.

• Columbus Blue Jackets (Fanatics) 🏒
• Cleveland Cavaliers (Caesars) 🏀
• FC Cincinnati (SuperBook) ⚽️
• Cleveland Guardians (bet365) ⚾️
• Cincinnati Bengals (Betfred) 🏈
• Cleveland Browns (Ballys) 🏈
• Columbus Crew (Tipico) ⚽️
• Cincinnati Reds (BetMGM) ⚾️

Ohio Sports Betting News Timeline

Ohio mobile sports gambling has had a long path to get to now two months out from sports betting finally becoming accessible to residents. Below is a breakdown from the passing of HB 29, to now going through the process of approving sportsbooks for a sports betting license and allowing them time to prepare for New Year’s Day.

• Jan. 1, 2023- The official launch date for Ohio sports gambling
• Oct.-Dec. 2022- The announcements of which sports betting operators will receive licenses
• Sep. 8-21, 2022- The first two batches of sports betting licenses were awarded to mobile and retail operators
• Aug. 15, 2022- End of the license application period for Type C Sports Gaming Hosts
• July 15, 2022- End of the license application period for Type A, B, and C proprietors, MMSPs, MSPs, and Suppliers.
• June 15, 2022- Open period for all sports betting applications
• June 1, 2022- The OCCC announces the official launch date of sports betting in Ohio will be Jan. 1, 2023
• Dec. 22, 2021- Gov. Mike DeWine signs HB 29 into law, moving the motion for sports betting to become available

How to Sign Up for an Ohio Sportsbook

There is typically a general format most sportsbooks have that most follow for signing up:

Step 1: Follow our special offer links to the sportsbook’s website.

Step 2: Download the platform’s mobile or visit their desktop website.

Step 3: Click/choose the sign-up button.

Step 4: Register for your account; typically, the information needed is a valid form of identification and various personal information.

Step 5: Make your first deposit to your account using any method your chosen Ohio sports book allows.

Step 6: Place your first wager.

Ohio Sportsbook Bonuses

With an expectation of double-digit Ohio sportsbooks to choose from, many different providers will be advertising new Ohio sportsbook bonuses. There are a few factors to consider when choosing what the best Ohio sportsbook is going to be for you or which sports betting bonus is best for you.

First, Ohio sports bettors should try multiple platforms and take advantage of the many welcome offers at various sportsbooks. Second, some users will be more inclined to use different types of bonuses that suit their betting styles.

Ohio sports bettors also need to consider the type of offer they are getting. Offers include bonuses/promotions like:

No Deposit:

A no-deposit bonus allows users to opt-in to a bonus with no large financial commitment. Users will get a welcome bonus with no initial deposit in the form of free betting credits. Most of these offers will only ask new users to create an account and automatically have them qualify, others have sometimes required a small deposit fee of $5 in order to get a large bonus amount.

Deposit Match:

This bonus can come in different forms. One way this offer is promoted is by having fans place their initial deposit and the user will receive a percentage of that deposit back. That can be misleading if a user is receiving 20% of their initial deposit, it could require a large deposit upfront to get the most of the offer. Another way this can be presented is bettors will get a full deposit match up to a certain amount. This has been shown in deposit matches up to $1,000 or smaller amounts up to $250.

Odds Boosts:

An odds boost can be a way sportsbooks reward loyal users or promotes the start of a season or playoffs. The odds of a specific game or event sometime chosen by you are boosted, making winnings potentially higher.

Risk-Free Bets:

Risk-free bets are another way that users can receive Ohio sports betting bonuses. The sportsbook will give a limit on how much they are willing to give back to the user in the form of a risk-free bet. These can be awarded as welcome bonuses or during certain season promotions.

For example, the BetMGM welcome bonus is a risk-free bet of up to $1,000. A user can place an initial bet up to that amount, and if their wager loses, they will get awarded back that amount in the form of a risk-free bet. Some sportsbooks will also offer risk-free bets to incentivize users to bet on a season kick-off event. By placing a bet on the NBA season opener, if a user loses that bet, they will get the money back in the form of a free bet.

Pre-Live Offers

In addition to welcome bonuses, there will be new Ohio pre-launch offers starting to be promoted before the end of the year. The first to roll out this type of offer is FanDuel Sportsbook Ohio. The sportsbook is offering $100 in free bets for users that sign up before Jan. 1, 2023, and place a deposit of $10 or more. The free bet will be placed in the user’s account on launch day, bettors that opt into this offer will still be able to claim the additional welcome offer after launch.

The DraftKings Ohio pre-live offer is $200 in free bets for signing up ahead of launch day. With the same concept as most pre-live offers, the free bet will be awarded to the user directly in their account.

Taking a little bit of a different approach, Caesars Ohio is offering $100 in free bets and a chance to win Cleveland Cavaliers tickets. This add-on is a nice touch and shows the strong relationship the sportsbook has with it’s Ohio NBA partner.

BetMGM Ohio is offering new users that sign-up ahead of the launch date $200 in free bets. New bettors are encouraged to try all the different sports betting bonuses to get a feel for the different apps.

PointsBet is offering new users $200 in Bet Credits ($50 in Bet Credits per week for 4 weeks) + up to $500 in Bet Credits ($100 in Bet Credits per day for 5 days if your first Fixed-Odds cash bet of the day loses). This bet comes in two parts and is unique to others in the industry.

The Bet365 Ohio offer is $100 in Free Bets + Bet $1, Get $200 on Launch. The offer is similar to others in the market but comes with a second bonus on the day of launch if the user bets only $1.

Always check the terms and conditions when using any bonus or promotion. Also, check the rollover requirements, as some sports books may make users bet the number of winnings from a bonus anywhere from 0-25 times.