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Governor Mike DeWine signs Ohio sports betting bill into law
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There’s nothing stopping Ohio sports betting now.
Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed Ohio’s sports betting bill into law, just two weeks after the bill was passed by both the Senate and the House. Ohio sports betting will launch no later than Jan. 1, 2023.
Ohio sports betting now legal
It’s been a long time coming for sports betting in the state. The bill, HB 29, was originally discussed this past summer and approved by the Senate before stalling out in the House. Discussions on the bill were picked up again in the fall and a joint conference committee hammered out the sports betting details over the course of several months.
Three categories of sports betting licenses will be available for state casinos, racinos and professional sports franchises. The bill allows for 67 total licenses; 25 online sports betting licenses and 42 retail sportsbook licenses.
Lawmakers approved a 10% sports betting tax for the state.
Three categories of sports betting licenses
Type A licenses will include state entities that have the ability to bank a bet, such as the state’s 11 casinos and racinos. Type B licenses will be for future brick-and-mortar sportsbooks. Type C licenses allow for sports betting kiosks to be installed in retail establishments with D-class liquor licenses.
Each Ohio casino, racino and professional sports franchise will be able to apply for a Type A license and partner with a sportsbook operator. Schuring said these entities can apply for and potentially receive a second Type A license if they meet certain requirements.
Type A licenses will cost $3 million for the first five years. If awarded a second license, the fee is $10 million for the first five years. After the initial five years, the license fees become a uniform $3 million each for an additional five years.
As for Type B licenses, there are limits for the number of licenses in each county based on population:
- An Ohio county with a population of 800,000 or more may have a maximum five Type B licenses, up from three in the original bill.
- A county with 400,000 to 800,000 may have a maximum of three Type B licenses.
- A county with 100,000 to 400,000 may have one Type B license.
Professional sports franchises, casinos and racinos can also apply for Type B licenses. This also includes NASCAR hosted events and PGA events in Ohio.
Type C licenses will all for self-serve sports betting kiosks to be installed in retail establishments with D-class liquor licenses. This would allow bars and certain restaurants to install kiosks in their facilities. Type C licenses will be regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission.
Type C licenses are $1,000.
One-half a percent of all licenses fees will go to funding veterans services in the state. Revenue from sports betting will support Ohio education.
Regulatory Writer and Editor for XLMedia. Sports. Gambling. Not necessarily in that order. Follow him on Twitter @rlinnehanxl