DraftKings, JACK Entertainment to Join Ohio Sports Betting Scene

Ohio has legalized fantasy sports since 2018, but legal sports betting was unavailable to the Buckeye State. However, by January 2023, the restrictions on sports wagering will be officially lifted and sportsbook brands are flocking to submit their applications.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission has announced the official launch date for sports gambling in Ohio, which is January 1, 2023. Governor Mike DeWine has already signed the bill in December 2021 and the state will start to establish the regulatory framework.

BetMGM and PointsBet wasted no time and applied earlier in June for a mobile management services provider license with DraftKings following suit on June 22. However, The New York Post also revealed that BetMGM applied for a retail license as well. The Ohio Casino Control Commission has not revealed the proprietor partners of the sportsbooks.

“Partnership information will be published once applications from both parties have been received,” it said in a document regarding BetMGM and PointsBet.

Meanwhile, Cleveland-based gaming company JACK Entertainment became the first applicants for both brick-and-mortar and online sportsbook proprietor licenses. The company is known to operate betJACK, a free-to-play sports betting app.

Ohio will close its first window of application for sports betting licenses on July 15. Although the commission promised to “continue to accept sports gaming applications” even after the deadline, it added that “any application received after the deadline is not guaranteed consideration in time to start on the universal start date”.

On the said universal start date, which is January 1, 2023, sports bettors of at least 21 years old and physically located in Ohio can start signing up to the available operators and wagering on sports or teams of their choice.

Furthermore, in December 2021, Ohio Casino Commission executive director Matt Schuler revealed that sports bettors in Ohio will be able to place wagers on college sports once sports gambling becomes fully legal by January next year.