Ohio Online Gambling To Kick Off Jan. 1

Regulated online gambling will commence in the Buckeye State on Jan. 1, 2023.

Regulators with the Ohio Casino Control Commission announced the date Wednesday. Last year, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, signed a law to legalize in-person and online sports betting.

Ohio neighbors Michigan and Pennsylvania both have online sports betting and online casinos, but Ohio decided to start off first with just internet sportsbooks. It’s unclear when Ohio may authorize online slots and table games, products offered by many of the companies that will offer sports betting in the state.

Sports betting is one of the most significant expansion of gambling for Ohio since the state saw its first brick-and-mortar casinos open roughly a decade ago.

The Ohio sports betting legislation called for a start date no later than Jan. 1, 2023, and regulators will use the full shot clock to authorize the launch. A slew of books are expected to open on the first date they are allowed.

Ohio will have up to 25 online sportsbooks and up to 40 retail sportsbooks.

“For everyone interested, they really should expect it to be very close to – if not on – January 1st,” the Ohio Casino Control Commission said in May. “We anticipate roughly 3,000 (license applications) might come in. We’re going to need to do all of those investigations to issue those licenses and then make sure they’re in compliance with all of the rules and regulations. We’re going to need all of that time right up until January.”

While the industry awaits the launch, Ohio sports teams have been busy preparing. The Cleveland Browns and Bally’s Interactive partnered for betting, while the Cleveland Cavaliers forged a relationship with Caesars Entertainment.