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Legal US Sportsbooks are Going Live on New Years’ Day in Ohio

by Dave Schwab - 12/6/2022

Joe Mixon Cincinnati Bengals

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has approved 21 retail sportsbooks and 22 online sportsbooks to launch on Jan. 1, 2023. The actual total of live sportsbook operators will be less than that. However, there is going to be legal sports betting in the state on that day.

Sunday, Jan. 1 marks Week 17 on the regular NFL season to kick off 2023 with a bang. The following day there are four major college football bowl games and the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengal on Monday Night Football.

Retail sportsbooks will be part of the land-based casinos network across Ohio and digital sportsbooks are mobile sports betting apps that will be available online. Some sports betting providers (both retail and online) are planning to launch special events on Jan. 1, 2023.

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17 Retail Sportsbooks Have Plans to Operate Jan. 1, 2023

Hard Rock Cincinnati, Hollywood Casino Columbus, Hollywood Casino Toledo and JACK Cleveland are the main retail sportsbooks that will be operating on New Years’ Day of 2023.

There are 17 other retail sports betting locations including Barstool Sportsbook (Hollywood Casino Mahoning Valley), betJACK (JACK Casino Thistledown), BetMGM (MGM Northfield), Caesars Sportsbook (Scioto Downs) and FanDuel Sportsbook (Belterra Park).

Miami Valley Racing and Gaming has been approved for a retail sportsbook license. However, the Ohio casino and racetrack has yet to name a sportsbook partner. Cedar Downs OTB is partnered with BetMGM but the location is not yet available for licensed wagering.

18 Digital Sportsbooks Could Go Live on New Years’ Day

There are 18 online sportsbooks that could go live on Jan. 1 in Ohio, including Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet and WynnBET as the top sports bet operators in the legal US market. The second tier would be bet365, Betfred, SuperBook and Tipico among various digital platforms.

Fanatics and Underdog Sportsbook will not be launching on Jan. 1 in Ohio and Fubo Sportsbook and MaximBet have withdrawn from consideration.

The OCCC meets on a monthly basis and its next meeting is Dec. 14. It is possible that more digital platforms could be presented at this time.

Ohio Professional Stadiums and Arenas

As far as sportsbooks go, the state’s professional venues for NFL stadiums in Cincinnati and Cleveland to Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin can be eligible for licensing. The pro facilities are not cleared to being legal sports betting as quick as Jan. 1 but they will factor-in the whole state market for betting on sports.

All sportsbook operators in Ohio are required to have their equipment approved by an independent testing source as a way to start the OCCC verification process.     

Ohio Sports Betting Market

The OCCC has released its betting menu this October and the commission will allow wagering on 20 different sports.

Point spreads, total lines, money line odds and props are some of the more popular betting markets and a list of “specifically approved” wagers are also included. Season-ending awards in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and WNBA were approved as special futures odds.

Also included are wagers on esports. The OCCC approved 10 different “esports governing bodies” for legal betting at retail and online sportsbooks.

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