Currently, online betting isn’t available in Ohio. However, the law was recently changed, and it shouldn’t be long before the first legal online sports bets are placed.
Since the federal law against sports betting was overturned in 2018, Ohio legislators have been making efforts to legalize and regulate real money sports wagering.
Ohio represents one of the biggest potential markets for online sports betting. It’s estimated that the legal sports betting market will generate $1 billion gross in revenue per year, which means a lot of potential taxes for the state government.
In 2020, the state introduced two bills that both included provisions for a legal sports betting industry. Neither of these bills passed as the Senate and the House had differing views on how the practice should be regulated.
Although the earlier attempts to pass legal sports betting in Ohio failed, 2021 was a different story. After some initial stumbling blocks, the Ohio House, Senate, and Governor agreed to legalize sports betting in December 2021. Gov. Mike DeWine signed bill HB29 into law on December 22.
What’s Next for Sports Betting in Ohio
Although Ohio has officially legalized sports betting, it’s still not available at this present time. That’s because it takes some time for the regulations to be put in place and for licenses to be approved.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission is handling this process, and for now, not much is known about how long it will take. This means that if you’re looking to claim a Caesars Ohio bonus code, you’ll have to wait a bit longer yet.
However, the current thinking is that the first sportsbooks will go live in the state before 2023. That means that if all things go to plan, Ohio sports fans will be placing legal bets in 2022. There is optimism that sports betting will commence in the state in the spring of 2022, although no official start date has been set.
At the moment, things are still unclear, including the details of which sites will be available, how they’ll work, and the Ohio sports on offer.
The bill currently states that only four mobile sportsbook licenses will be granted, but it’s not clear whether this will be increased over time. While it’s not known for certain, it’s very likely that Ohio sportsbooks will only be available to bettors who prove they’re at least twenty-one years old.
Additionally, you’ll need to prove you’re in the state before you can bet. These rules are in place at other legal sportsbooks across the country, so it makes sense here too.
Which Sportsbooks Are Likely to Launch in Ohio?
While it will be some months before the first licenses are approved, it’s likely that the biggest sportsbooks in the country have already applied to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Ohio represents a massive potential market, so it’s unlikely that any of these big sports betting platforms will want to miss out. Although the limit to just four mobile apps might make things more challenging, there should still be plenty of variety to choose from.
Sportsbooks that Ohio bettors can look forward to will probably include:
- DraftKings
- Caesars
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
- BetMGM
- Barstool