Ohio sports betting bill clears final hurdle with senate approval
Buckeye State to authorise mobile and retail sports betting no later than January 2023 as legislation heads to governor for approval
Fully regulated and licensed mobile and retail sports betting in Ohio moved a step closer after legislators voted to approve a bill authorising the vertical in the Buckeye State by January 2023.
House Bill 29 overwhelmingly passed through the Ohio Senate by a vote of 31-1 and later was approved by the state’s House of Representatives by a vote of 72-12.
The bill, which had previously stalled due to issues concerning the licensing of mobile sportsbook operators was amended following passage through a Senate conference committee.
It provides for mobile and retail betting licenses which will now run for five years instead of three under previous iterations.
The original text of the legislation entitled Ohio sports leagues and teams to one skin each, while the state’s casinos and racinos were able to operate two, something which caused legislatory deadlock.
However, under the amended legislation these groups are now able to operate one skin, with provisos to allow expansion to two skins should the operator involved demonstrate the value of operating the second skin to the state.
A total of 25 licenses are available, however this can be expanded if applicants can prove Ohio would benefit from more online sportsbooks.
Speculation has already begun on Twitter as to who could be the potential licensees in the Buckeye State.
It's far too early to tell which operators will earn Ohio online sports betting licenses, but (the incomplete) list of likely sportsbooks include:
– Bally Bet
– Barstool
– BetMGM
– BetRivers
– Caesars
– DraftKings
– FanDuel
– Fubo
– PointsBet
– MaximBet
– TwinSpires
– WynnBet— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) December 9, 2021
Other notable amendments in committee stage include the removal of a requirement for live betting data to come from official league data sources and the limitation of bets placed at lottery kiosks to $700 a week.
Applicants will now no longer be able to carry forward negative financial data and must now provide information on the size and cost of any prospective retail sportsbook to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Betting on esports found its way into legislation, however provisions to allow sportsbooks to offer betting on horseracing were ultimately removed from the approved text.
Under the terms of the bill, sports betting in Ohio must begin no later than January 1 2023, however Ohio authorities are able to award licenses until the end of June 2023.
The legislation now passes to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine a previously vocal supporter of expanding sports betting into the state.
Golden Nugget Online Gaming, MaximBet and WynnBet are among a number of operators who have inked market access deals with Ohio-local firms ahead of the sports betting launch and could now be in line to expand into the Buckeye State.
US top-three sportsbook operator BetMGM launched a horseracing mobile app in Ohio in October.