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Ohio lays out time frame to launch sports betting

By: Andy Chow | Statehouse News Bureau
Posted on: Thursday, June 9, 2022

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — State regulators have laid out the time table over the next seven months in order to be prepared for one of the largest simultaneous launches of sports gaming in the country.

Ohio will have three different types of sports betting licensed, and all three are scheduled to go into effect at the same time on January 1, 2023.

Jessica Franks, Ohio Casino Control Commission communications director, said this is a heavy lift but that state regulators are ready for the job ahead.

“We’re regulating an entirely new industry here for the state of Ohio, so that necessitates a great deal of work. But we have a great staff at the commission and we’re really proud of all the work that they’ve been doing up through this process,” said Franks.

The next step to that process will be on June 15 when applicants for Ohio’s three licenses can submit their request to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

Type A licenses are for online or mobile betting. Type B licenses are for brick-and-mortar locations for people to place bets. Type C licenses are for sports gaming lottery kiosks, which can be placed in venues that already have a liquor permit.

Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Columbus Blue Jackets and other professional sports teams were vocal advocates for legal sports betting in Ohio and are expected to be among the proprietors applying for a license.

The application window will also be open to management service providers. These are companies that run the betting platforms – Fan Duel and Draft Kings are examples of management service providers.

Type C gaming hosts, which will be regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission, can apply for licenses on July 15.

Franks said prospective license holders can apply later, but need to apply within these windows in order to meet the January 1 deadline.

During this time, the commission will conduct background checks, verify compliance documents, and test out equipment.

“So that as the companies submit all of that documentation and all of those compliance materials that they need to have approved and ready to go in order to start accepting wagers on January 1 — our staff is ready to go through those,” Franks said.

After several years of debate over the issue, Ohio lawmakers legalized sports betting with bipartisan support in December 2021.