Online sports betting in Ohio continues its licensee progression ahead of the state’s official launch less than two months away.
Last week, an Ohio Casino Control Commission (CCC) meeting revealed the approval of six retail sportsbooks, five online sportsbooks, and a further three mobile and retail proprietors.
Ohio’s official sports betting launch is January 1, 2023, and many license applications are still awaiting approval.
Green-Lit Ohio Sports Betting Operators
The most recently approved five online sportsbooks are some of the most prominent organizations in the sports betting industry:
• BetMGM: Mobile license approved for MGM Resorts’ Northfield Park and a retail license for the Cincinnati Reds, Northfield, and Cedar Downs OTB
• DraftKings: Mobile license approved for PENN’S Hollywood Toledo
• BetRivers: Mobile license approved for PENN Entertainment’s Hollywood Dayton and retail license for Pro Football Hall of Fame Village
• Hard Rock: Mobile and retail license approved for Hard Rock Cincinnati
• Tipico: Mobile and retail license for Columbus Crew SC
As one of the three proprietors approved, Hard Rock Cincinnati will also be joined by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Village, which currently partners with Betr for mobile, and Miami Valley Gaming, which works alongside Gamewise for mobile and retail.
Sports Betting Suppliers Also Receive a Green Light
Four sports betting suppliers were also granted an Ohio license:
• Internet Sports International
• Xpoint Services
• Stadium Technology Group
• SBTech Malta
Regulators Couldn’t Give without Taking
Following last week’s abundance of license approvals, regulators completed their meeting by removing one.
StatHero provided its customers with fantasy contests against the house instead of players, and now they’ve lost their fantasy sports license with an agreement that they cannot reapply for one to three years.
However, as one fantasy provider was out, another arrived. Sportshub was granted a fantasy contest operator license and will undoubtedly avoid the same mistake as StatHero.
Type C Approvals
It’s been a busy week for Ohio regulators, as an additional seven type C hosts were approved, as the total now surpasses 880 thus far.
The Ohio Lottery has considered another 1,412 companies as of last Friday with pre-approval status. 500 businesses still need to apply.
June Taylor, the CCC chairwoman, advised those businesses during last week’s meeting. This is so approvals can be fast-tracked before the January launch, and the CCC handed authority to the company’s Executive Director to approve those licenses.
