The Cincinnati Bengals finally put the last puzzle piece in place for a successful season as the franchise announced a new multi-year Ohio online sports betting partnership with BetFred.

The Bengals recently applied for a Type A sports betting license but did not specify an online sports betting partner in its application to the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The initial window for license applications closes today, Friday, July 15, and any applications received after the deadline may not be processed in time for operators to launch on Jan. 1, 2023.

Bengals jumping into Ohio online sports betting

The Bengals made the announcement earlier this week on social media.

BetFred said it will launch its online sportsbook on Jan. 1, 2023, the first day Ohio sports betting will be available to the public.

“This is an exciting opportunity to partner with the Bengals as we continue to expand BetFred across the US and into Ohio with the launch of sports betting in the near future,” said Mark Stebbings, Betfred Group Chief Operating Officer, in a press release. “The Bengals are a premier franchise with a passionate fanbase and a history of innovation that aligns with our brand. We look forward to engaging with fans across the state as we introduce them to unique betting promotions and content throughout the year.”

BetFred is currently live in six states. The United Kingdom based bookmaker owns and operators over 1,400 betting shops in the UK.

Ohio sports betting applications

The race for Ohio sports betting applications has been heating up for the past several weeks. Six online sports betting operators have applied for “mobile management service provider” licenses (skins) to partner with Type A license holders”

  • BetMGM
  • PointsBet
  • DraftKings
  • Penn Sports Interactive (Barstool Sportsbook)
  • FanDuel
  • Fanatics Sportsbook

Four entities have applied for Type A licenses and only the Bengals have made their online sportsbook partnership public. More are certainly expected by the July 15 deadline:

  • JACK Cleveland Casino
  • JACK Thistledown Racino
  • Hall of Fame Village 
  • Cincinnati Bengals

Three entities have applied for a Type B retail sports betting license:

  • JACK Cleveland Casino
  • JACK Thistledown Racino
  • Hall of Fame Village

Only one entity has applied for a Type C kiosk sports betting license:

  • Elys Gameboard Technologies

Four entities have applied to be retail sports betting service providers:

  • BetMGM
  • JACK Cleveland Casino’s betJACK brand (partnered with JACK Thistledown Racino)
  • FanDuel
  • Fanatics