Ohio Casino Control Commission Now Accepting Sports Betting License Apps

• Starting Wednesday, Sportsbook Operators Can Apply for Ohio Licenses
• Ohio Can Legally Issue Up to 25 Online Sports Betting Licenses Initially
• Ohio Sports Betting Market Set to Launch January 1, 2023

Starting Wednesday, Sportsbook Operators Can Apply for Ohio Licenses

Another baby step towards legal sports betting in Ohio happened on Wednesday as the Casino Control Commission began accepting applications for licenses to operate in that state, so now interested sportsbooks will be gradually filling out and submitting the proper paperwork.

It’s all a part of the pre-launching process that takes place in the weeks and months between when a state’s Governor signs an approved sports betting bill into law and the date that the market actually launches and begins to take wagers, a tricky set of steps that take time to implement.

In an email released on Wednesday, the Ohio Casino Control Commission explained who could begin the application process starting on June 15:

This window is for Proprietor, Management Services Provider, first designated Mobile Management Services Provider, and Supplier applicants looking to launch on January 1, 2023. This first application window closes July 15.

Now three types of sportsbook operators can apply to be a part of that market’s launch – mobile platforms that must pay $150k for their application; retail sportsbooks like casinos who will pay $20k to apply; and operators of sports betting kiosks that are placed in bowling alleys and bars.

And there should be plenty of room for everyone.

Ohio Can Legally Issue Up to 25 Online Sports Betting Licenses Initially

Ohio is late to the legal sports betting game – state lawmakers could have begun this journey as early as May 2018 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned PASPA and gave the individual states the choice to launch that type of market for its residents.

So far, over thirty states plus Washington D.C. have done just that and now by taking its time, Ohio gets the benefit of having ‘watched the other golfers putt first’ and the wording of their new law no doubt reflects the best lessons already learned by other markets who went before them.

Ohio will allow for up to 25 mobile sports betting licenses, though that number could always change in time if that makes more sense for the market’s success, and the state’s pro teams are given first preference for these licenses as are casinos and racinos located there.

Online operators must also apply for one of the 40 retail licenses that will be available or in some other way prove that their business operates inside state lines, logistics that the Casino Control Commission will sort out before the end of the year.

Ohio Sports Betting Market Set to Launch January 1, 2023

As we have already reported, Ohio is required by law to launch its new sports betting market by January 1, 2023, a process that began last December when both the Ohio Senate and House passed the sports betting bill HB 29 and Governor Mike DeWine signed it into law.

It’s still not even close to being over, with half a year yet to go, and the Casino Control Commission understands the seriousness of its ongoing task to hit that legal deadline, saying:

January 1 will represent the largest expansion of gaming in Ohio’s history and the largest ever simultaneous launch of sports gaming in the United States.

The commission has stated that this will “necessitate detailed due diligence investigations, as well as comprehensive compliance examinations of approximately 3,000 licensees ahead of that date,” so keep checking back for all the latest news and updates on this ongoing story.