Ohio Sports Betting Launch Likely Not Happening Until Late 2022
The Ohio Casino Control Commission confirmed at a recent meeting that Ohio sports betting will launch by Jan. 1, 2023, and license application submissions will not begin until the Summer or Fall of 2022.
The recently released application schedule from the Ohio Casino Control Commission puts an end to any hope that Ohio sports betting could launch earlier in the year.
Ohio Sports Betting License Applications by the Fall
Members of the Ohio House and Senate approved HB 29, a bill to legalize Ohio sports betting, in early December. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill into law in late December.
The approved bill includes three types of sports betting licenses. Type A online sports betting licenses include state entities that have the ability to bank a bet, such as the state’s 11 casinos/racinos and 10 professional sports teams.
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.
The bill allows for 67 total licenses; 25 online sports betting licenses and 42 retail sportsbook licenses.
Each Ohio casino, racino and professional sports franchise will be able to apply for a Type A license and must partner with a sportsbook operator. These entities can apply for and potentially receive a second Type A license if they meet certain requirements. In addition to the 10 professional Ohio sports teams, NASCAR could operate a sportsbook at the Mid-Ohio Speedway and the PGA could operator a sportsbook at one of two country clubs that host PGA events in the state.
If each of these noted entities receives both an A and B license, there would be four remaining Type A license and 21 remaining Type B licenses.
Application submissions for Type A and Type B licenses likely won’t begin until the Summer or Fall of 2022, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Ohio Sports Betting License Costs
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 licenses.
Type C licenses will likely begin accepting applications after Ohio launches sports betting.