Ohioans have been able to legally bet on sports since Jan. 1, when the law changed and created a potentially billion-dollar industry that could yield tens of millions in tax revenue for Ohio schools.
Casinos, racetracks, online sportsbooks — even local restaurants and bars — prepared for months to meet a wave of demand.
Miami Valley Gaming also offers online betting through MVGbet online and its mobile app.
Who can bet, and on what?
The new Ohio law allows betting on sports by anyone at least 21 years old. Players can bet on professional sports, college sports and esports, including auto racing and golf; but betting on horse races remains confined to established pari-mutuel betting at racetracks.
Players can also bet on international contests such as the Olympics. But according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission, which sets rules for betting, people can’t bet on the actions of coaches or game officials; injuries; actions of fans or performers; coin tosses; game gear; prerecorded events; or any game in which more than half of players are under age 18.
Licenses, locations
Ohio legislators wrangled for years on whether or how to legalize sports betting. On Dec. 9, 2021, the General Assembly approved it, and Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill Dec. 22.
The legislation authorizes three types of sports gaming licenses:
- Type A licenses allow sports gambling on mobile apps, or “sportsbooks.” Twenty-five such licenses can be issued, with preference given to Ohio’s professional sports teams and existing casinos.
- Type B licenses allow it at up to 40 brick-and-mortar locations — generally places where gambling is already established, such as casinos and racinos. Those are known as “retail sportsbooks.”
- Type C licenses would allow up to two gaming machines in kiosks at some lottery sales locations; and in bars, restaurants and bowling alleys that hold alcohol licenses.
Type A and B licenses are good for five years, but Type C licenses must be renewed after three years. The Casino Control Commission issues all licenses, but directly oversees only types A and B. Type C licenses are managed by the Ohio Lottery.
How to bet at kiosks
All 22 Fricker’s locations in Ohio will have betting kiosks, said April Baker, chief operating officer of the Miamisburg-based chain.
“We will launch on day one,” she said. Fricker’s will encourage guests to download a mobile phone app to place their bets, which will create a QR code. They can use that code to log their bets at Fricker’s bar before games start, Baker said.
Betting allowed under Type C licenses is not quite the same as what’s available at existing casinos and racinos, she said.
At small-business kiosks, such as the ones at Fricker’s locations, people can bet four ways, Baker said:
- Over/under, betting on whether a specific statistic for a game will be high or low.
- Moneyline, a straight bet to predict a game’s winner.
- Spread, betting on a golf-like “handicap” for each team — negative points for the favorite to win and positive points for the underdog.
- Parlay, betting on multiple aspects of a game; providing a greater payout if all those factors are right.
Fricker’s has had an “exceptional relationship” with the Ohio Lottery, and sees sports gaming kiosks as an extra entertainment value, Baker said. The company also started offering the lottery and keno as soon as those were legal for restaurants, she said.
“Our customers have a great time with that,” Baker said.
Sports gaming kiosks seemed like a natural move since Fricker’s offers game viewing for all sports seasons, she said.
“We’re a sports restaurant,” Baker said.
Fricker’s kiosks operate during all hours the locations are open.
Where and how can people bet?
Many of Ohio’s pro sports teams have been approved to host gambling through sportsbooks, including the Cincinnati Bengals, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Blue Jackets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Guardians. So have racetracks including Northfield Park, Scioto Downs, Hollywood Casino Columbus and Belterra Park.
As of Dec. 21, a dozen retail sportsbooks at existing casinos and racinos — including Barstool Sportsbook for Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway — were fully licensed. The casino announced it would start offering sports gambling Jan. 1 through Barstool Sportsbook at wagering counters and kiosks.
Also fully licensed are 16 online sportsbooks, including such names as DraftKings and FanDuel, that started taking bets in the first seconds of Jan. 1.
What’s the financial impact?
The state estimates that sports betting will be a $1.1 billion industry in Ohio in its first year or so of operation, growing to $3.35 billion within a few years.
Ohio could bring in an additional $31 million in tax revenue through June 2024, according to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Sports gambling licensing fees in 2022 could add another $32 million, according to PlayOhio.
PlayOhio also projected sports gambling will create more than 700 Ohio jobs, mostly by online sportsbooks. In mid-December the firm predicted that kiosks alone could take $80 million in bets during their first year.
The legislation legalizing sports gambling imposes a 10% tax on those gaming receipts. Of that, 98% will go to fund public and nonpublic education through General Assembly appropriations, with half to be spent on sports and other extracurricular activities.
The remaining 2% will go to programs to combat gambling addiction.
Staff Writer Jim Gaines contributed to this report.
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