Ohio regulator sets sports betting launch date
Ohio Casino Control Commission officials suggest deadline will allow for “absolute clarity” on emerging sportsbook market and time to process more than 850 applications
Sports betting in Ohio will commence at 12:01am January 1, 2023, the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has confirmed.
Meeting yesterday afternoon, OCCC officials confirmed it would adhere to the intended universal start date initially envisioned as part of legislation signed into law in December 2021.
At the meeting, OCCC executive director Matthew T. Schuler suggested a launch would take place at the earliest possible moment.
“The common sense way that we can do this with absolute clarity is that once the ball drops in Times Square, sports gaming can commence,” Schuler said.
This means all authorized online apps, casinos, stadia, and other kiosks operating in bars across the state could launch at exactly the same time, application paperwork permitting.
Another element of setting this launch timetable is to allow OCCC officials to process the high volume of applications from interested parties amid the buzz surrounding the potential for the Buckeye State.
It is understood that OCCC officials are processing a total of 850 applications, inclusive of 22 online and 25 retail proprietors, as well as 21 mobile and 21 retail operators serving as partners.
The OCCC is processing 385 applications from key personnel working for entities operating in the state.
It is also processing 235 applications from potential kiosk hosts but is expecting more to be added to this list as OCCC officials revealed it has pre-qualified more than 1,000 potential applicants, with potentially 2,000 more waiting in the wings.
The application deadline for kiosk hosts expires on August 15.
One area where the OCCC is wasting no time is the development of a voluntary self-exclusion platform for the state, dubbed an ‘e-VEP’ portal by officials, with the approval of rules governing usage of the e-VEP expected to take place after development has completed.
“Our hope is to get that up and running at least a month in advance of sports gaming, so that people can do so before they’re barraged by advertisements,” OCCC chief technology and gaming officer Chris Fleenor told officials at the meeting.
There are 25 online licenses available for casinos, pro sports teams, and racinos, with each allowed one skin per license, which could potentially lead to around 50 brands launching alongside retail options.
The favorable tax rate of 10% on gross gaming revenue (GGR) means the Buckeye State is set to be a particularly competitive market for operators.