CINCINNATI — Ohio is just 10 days from the launch of sports betting. Not everyone is ready to go.
Of the six retail sportsbooks licensed to open on January 1 in Greater Cincinnati, only three have announced definite plans to receive bettors on the industry’s opening day.
- Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
- Belterra Park
- Great American Ball Park
That’s also true for only three of the seven companies licensed to operate sports betting kiosks in Ohio bars and restaurants. The Kroger Co. is delaying the launch of sports-betting kiosks in its 42 licensed stores until spring. The Ohio Casino Control Commission announced Wednesday that 16 companies have met the licensing and operational standards necessary for a Jan. 1 launch of online betting.
Six others have yet to meet that standard, which means they "likely have made a business decision to not launch on the universal start date," said Jessica Franks, spokeswoman for the commission.
Despite the uncertainty, industry experts remain bullish on Ohio, where the official state estimate is that $1.1 billion in bets will be placed in the industry’s first full year of operation. Analysts are expecting several times that amount in 2023.
“Fanduel, Draft Kings, Bet MGM, Barstool, they’re all like ready and raring to go,” said Geoff Zochodne, who follows the sports betting industry for Covers.com. “Those are the biggest operators right now in the U.S. They have pre-registration offers. They have offers ready to go on the day. I think that’s going to spur a lot of opportunity pretty quickly.”
Ohio devised one of the most ambitious launch plans in the country with its sports-betting framework that offered three kinds of licenses, enabling more than a thousand betting locations to open simultaneously on Jan. 1. Forty of those locations are retail sportsbooks, including six in Hamilton, Butler and Warren counties. The Ohio Casino Control Commission has conditionally approved more than 1,000 locations to host sports-betting kiosks through Dec. 21, but each of those locations must partner with a sports betting proprietor to offer bets.
So far, only three proprietors – Intralot, BetIGG and UBet Ohio - have told the Ohio Lottery Commission they’ll be ready to go on Jan. 1. That’s among the “limiting factors” that will cause Ohio to see less revenue from kiosks, according to PlayOhio.com. It estimates Ohio will generate $80 million in first-year bets at kiosks, or 1% of Ohio’s total handle of $8.5 billion in wagers.
“While kiosk bettors account for 11% of all sports bettors, the larger bets and more aggressive bettors still will rely on sportsbook apps,” PlayOhio reported. “And if the novel system encounters problems, and other hosts — like Kroger — decide to wait to launch, kiosks may give bettors pause and slow their intake.”
FanDuel Vice President Jeff Lowich said Ohio could generate up to $6 billion in first-year betting activity.
“This is a very strong market,” Lowich said. “From a retail perspective, we’re really excited to launch here at Belterra Park in Cincinnati. We believe that this will be a strong-performing sportsbook.”
The Anderson Township racino held a media preview for its Fanduel sportsbook Tuesday. It will open New Year’s Day at 10 a.m. with three betting windows, nine self-serve kiosks, 21 TV screens and lots of plug-in seating options where sports fans can bet live on their phones and computers.
General Manager Chris Corrado said the racino isn’t finished with its roughly $2 million investment – a new bar adjacent to the sportsbook is still under construction – but it expects plenty of action on Ohio’s opening day.
“I think given the first is a huge day on a Sunday with football and then the second, obviously being Monday Night Football with Buffalo and the Bengals, that’s going to create enough awareness and demand,” Corrado said.
Downtown’s Hard Rock Cincinnati Casino was the first to announce plans for Jan. 1, an event that will include Pete Rose placing a bet at 12:01 a.m. The Cincinnati Reds plan to open at 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day with a sportsbook operated by Bet MGM in the Wings and Rings Machine Room at Great American Ball Park.
FC Cincinnati is selling tickets for a New Year’s Eve event at Taft’s Ale House, where Las Vegas-based SuperBook will operate a betting parlor until it’s relocated to be part of a future development project next to TQL Stadium. Whether revelers can place a bet at midnight remains to be seen.
“Work continues for the physical space but on target for Jan. 1 launch,” spokeswoman Anne Sesler said.
At Miami Valley Gaming in Monroe, the company is partnering with Gamewise Inc. to launch the MVGBet Sportsbook. “We are waiting on the OCCC inspection,” spokeswoman Pat Shaw said. “Once we have that we will send out releases. But right now, the only timing we can confirm is ‘January.’”
Lori’s Roadhouse has yet to announce formal launch plans for Butler County’s only licensed retail sportsbook. The country music venue in West Chester Twp received state approval Dec. 14. Owner Tyler Wogenstahl said he hopes to open by Jan. 1 but hasn’t finalized launch plans.
