Ohio Lawmaker Expects Sports Betting to Launch in the Fall

• OH Sen. Kirk Schuring Told WHBC Radio Sports Betting Should Launch by Fall
• Ohio Opens Application Window June 15 for Type A, B, and C Sports Betting Licenses
• By Law, Ohio Has Until Jan. 1, 2023, to Launch its Legal Sports Betting Market

OH Sen. Kirk Schuring Told WHBC Radio Sports Betting Should Launch by Fall

Ohio gamblers are currently stuck in sports betting limbo – it’s the dead time between the legalization of that activity and the actual launching of the said market – but this painful purgatory should not last much longer according to state Senator Kirk Schuring.

In an interview with 1480 WHBC host Pam Cook, Sen. Schuring made it clear that he expects the Buckeye State to officially launch its long-anticipated in-person and mobile sports betting markets in “mid-to-late fall,” that is “if everything goes right,” and chances are it might not.

The legal sports betting ball got rolling in Ohio late last year once the state Senate signed off on a related bill by an overwhelming 31-1 majority vote and then the House approved it by a vote of 72-12, which gave Governor Mike DeWine the chance to sign it into law on December 22.

Since then, the regulatory portion of the sports betting market launch process has been happening behind the scenes, with more details still left to iron out, all supervised by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) who have been preparing to accept license apps in June.

Ohio Opens Application Window June 15 for Type A, B, and C Sports Betting Licenses

There are over thirty states now with their over versions of a legal sports betting market in place now, and each operation looks a bit different, with some locations working with native tribes and others only allowing in-person action while many have added a mobile option to the game.

In Ohio, the new sports betting law allows for licensing three different delivery options for the market:

1. Type A Licenses for mobile sportsbooks
2. Type B Licenses for in-person sportsbooks
3. Type C Licenses for operators of sports betting kiosks

The application window for all three types of licenses will be opened on June 15, and it will take more time after that for the OCCC to sort through the qualified applicants, though a cap of 25 Type-A licenses has been set by law with 21 currently showing interest.

Sixty days prior to the actual launch, operators will be required to submit a list of data that includes:

• responsible gaming plans
• facility plans
• equipment testing
• geolocation procedures
• house rules
• required procedures

Despite Sen. Schuring’s recent fall launch prediction, the state is not legally required to get its sports betting market started until next year.

By Law, Ohio Has Until Jan. 1, 2023, to Launch its Legal Sports Betting Market

Ohio has until January 1, 2023, to launch its legal sports betting market or else it faces legal consequences spelled out in that related legislation, penalties that lawmakers and industry insiders will no doubt do their best to avoid.

The state will impose a 10% tax on all sports betting revenue, money that will a new income stream that should benefit Ohio residents, money that before was lost either to other states where that activity is already legal or through unregulated offshore sportsbooks.

A “mid-to-late fall” legal sports betting market launch means Ohio gamblers could get to place bets on the upcoming NFL season and the next NCAA March Madness tournament, so keep checking back for all the latest news and updates on this unfolding story.