Biggest Storylines From The Launch Of Ohio Sports Betting
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It was quite the wait for Ohio sports betting to roll out, but now it’s been fully available for a few days. Major mobile betting apps are now live in the state, meaning locals can bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and other popular teams. Now that we’re a few days into what should be a lucrative Ohio sports betting market, let’s check out a few interesting storylines.
Ohio Betting Handle Expected To Be Massive
With midnight on January 1st, 2023 marking the official start of legal online wagering and retail betting for anyone in the state of Ohio that’s 21 years of age or older, sports betting operators are looking at a major potential handle for 2023.
On Twitter, Ohio Politics announced that the state could potentially see $1.1 billion within the first year of legal sports wagering, with that number possibly growing to $3.35 billions in the near future.
The state estimates that sports betting will be a $1.1 billion industry in Ohio in its first year or so of operation, growing to $3.35 billion within a few years. https://t.co/QtDwPABNo9
— Ohio Politics (@Ohio_Politics) January 3, 2023
Notable First Ohio Bets
With the launch of Ohio sports betting on midnight on New Year’s Day, some interesting first wagers were placed. The very first legal bet was placed by former Cincinnati Reds pitcher and manager Pete Rose at the Hard Rock Sportsbook located in Cincinnati.
Rose’s wager was actually placed on his former team, the Reds, to win the 2023 World Series at +10000. The Reds won 62 games in the 2022 MLB regular season, tying the Pittsburgh Pirates for the bottom spot in the NL Central division.
Speaking of the Reds, the team also officially opened a BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park. The new in-person sportsbook has already taken in some major wagers, with bets coming in on the Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Reds to win their opening day matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Reds to win the World Series. The bets were placed by former Bengals lineman Tim Krumrie, former Reds outfielder George Foster, and Reds season ticket holder Mike Miller.
Here are the first bets taken at the @BetMGM sportsbook at the @Reds Great American Ball Park. pic.twitter.com/Mw8uHHuGtG
— RLinnehanXL (@RLinnehanXl) January 1, 2023
Ohio Betting Launch Isn’t Without Controversy
Although there were a lot of positives with the rollout of legal sports wagering in the Buckeye State, there has been some pushback. Notably, Governor Mike DeWine has been critical of some of the sports betting sites in the state for their advertising strategies.
According to The Cincinnati Enquirer, DeWine is upset at the potential for sports betting advertising reaching anyone under the legal betting age. It’s illegal to advertise to anyone under the age of 21, although two sports betting operators have already been piunished for advertising violations.
DraftKings Sportsbook Ohio, which is expected to be one of the most popular online betting sites, was recently fined $350,000 for possibly violating advertising regulations, although the company could dispute the claim with a hearing.
Another mobile betting site facing a fine is Barstool Sportsbook, which is looking at a $250,000 charge for advertising its promo code to University of Toledo students during a college football program. Like DraftKings, Barstool could decide to appeal the fine.
