CINCINNATI — Sports betting in Ohio will launch Jan. 1, 2023, the Ohio Casino Control Commission announced Wednesday.
Currently, Ohio has yet to finalize applications for the nine different kinds of sports betting licenses it will offer. Despite this, there are three licensing windows for applications to be submitted.
The first licensing window begins June 15. The second window begins July 15. And the third window will begin Nov. 2.
Other than employee licensing, sports books must submit responsible gaming plans, house rules and equipment tests to Ohio regulators by Nov. 2, as well.
As of May 16, at least 550 bars and restaurants eligible for sports-gaming host licenses have submitted sports gaming interest forms that will kick-start the verification process.
The state estimates that the sports betting will be a $1 billion industry in Ohio in its first year, growing to $3.35 billion within a few years. Eric Ramsey, lead market analyst for the PlayUSA Network, said Ohio could produce $12 billion a year in total bets once the industry full develops — which is three times the official state estimate.
Ohio's bill on sports betting said it must start by Jan. 1, 2023, but there was room for it to begin before then.
The formal announcement came after two state senators created speculation that the sports betting launch might take place in October 2022 to take advantage of the demand caused by NFL football and MLB's World Series.
Executive Director Matt Schuler told the commission a few weeks ago that too much work needed to be done for the launch date to move up.
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