Some licensed operators may be absent on the first day of legal sports betting in Ohio, recent comments from a top state regulator suggest.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission has marked Jan. 1, 2023, as the universal start date for retail, lottery, and online sports betting sites in the Buckeye State, which is now less than a month away.
“But there are some operators that are not yet prepared,” said June Taylor, chair of the casino control commission, during a panel at the recent National Council of Legislators from Gaming States meeting in Las Vegas. "And we also know that there are about five to seven operators that control 85% of the market. So I think we have to realize what the stats really are."
Doing due diligence
Taylor didn’t say which operators may still be standing on the sidelines come January 1, but she had been asked about the challenges associated with Ohio’s universal launch, which she noted was one of the largest expansions of legal gambling in U.S. history. Thus far, Taylor said, the regulator has had almost 4,000 license applications to address.
The chair also said the eligibility process for operators is “intensive” to the point of even looking invasive, but that it was necessary to be that way.
“It's a due diligence process that we pride ourselves on in accomplishing the way that it needs to be done,” she told the conference attendees.
One more thing...
The comments from Taylor suggest a few things about the fast-approaching launch of legal sports betting in the Buckeye State. One is that while the familiar faces of the industry will be ready and taking bets on January 1 — such as BetMGM, DraftKings, or FanDuel — some of the smaller operators will not. Some likely possibilities for a later launch are Betr or Fanatics, which are still working to get their wagering operations off the ground.
Taylor’s comments also suggest Ohioans are about to experience the Big Bang of sports betting in their backyard. Overnight, residents will be able to wager online, at casinos and other brick-and-mortar facilities, and grocery stores, bars, and restaurants. The state has a three-pronged approach to legal wagering that will make placing bets relatively easy for those who want to do so.
But, unfortunately for bettors keen to start wagering legally, they may not get the chance to do so on the Ohio State Buckeyes’ college-football playoff game against the Georgia Bulldogs on December 31.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission is scheduled to meet publicly on Wednesday for what may be the final time before January 1.
“We're on a pretty tight timeframe,” Taylor said. “So we're lucky to be here today because we've got folks with the nose to the grindstone, no doubt.”
