More than a year after Ohio lawmakers moved legal sports betting through the state legislature in less than a day, the moment of launch has finally arrived. A group of 16 digital operators and 13 retail sportsbooks have prepared to go live at 12:01 a.m. Sunday or soon after.
In the weeks leading up to launch, the Ohio Casino Control Commission has made responsible gambling concerns a top priority. The commission announced two policy violations in December and also sent a strongly worded letter to operators directing them to reassess their advertising and marketing materials.
The OCCC is concerned about preventing advertising to minors and ensuring that all marketing materials prominently include responsible gambling messages and gambling hotline information. To that end, Sports Handle would like to remind everyone to bet responsibly and know that they can use time- and money-limit tools provided by all digital operators. For any concerns about excessive betting, call the National Council on Problem Gambling’s 1-800-GAMBLER helpline or 1-800-589-9966, the Ohio Problem Gambling Hotline.
Stay with us into the start of 2023 as we update our live blog with all of the latest developments.
January 1, 1:33 p.m.
One of Ohio’s local sportsbooks confirmed as NFL games were kicking off that it is up and running online:
Hey #Ohio! We are now live!
Download the MVGBet app and place your first wager now! ➜ https://t.co/9n9j6j1xuw pic.twitter.com/cjOoaU6eBt
— MVGBet (@mvgbet) January 1, 2023
January 1, 1:25 p.m.
On Sunday morning, Great American Ballpark became the third baseball stadium to accept sports bets in the U.S. The ballpark is partnered with BetMGM, which also offers live wagering at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Caesars Sportsbook has a location at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field in Phoenix. Only five states allow for betting at professional sports venues, and Ohio will likely be the most prolific. Wagering also started at the Cavaliers’ Rocket Mortgage Field House Sunday and at Taft’s Ale House in conjunction with FC Cincinnati and SuperBook Sports.
YES or NO: Do you plan to place any sports bets over the next few months?
GABP opens its new sportsbook on the first day of legalized betting in Ohio and @kristenkcornett was there: https://t.co/55S9xDO7Nq pic.twitter.com/3CX1SJLuc6
— Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) January 1, 2023
The NFL Bengals, NHL Blue Jackets, NFL Browns, MLS Crew SC, and MLB Guardians all have plans for wagering locations at their respective home stadiums, and there will also eventually be wagering at Muirfield Village Golf Club and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
January 1, 1:19 p.m.
At MGM Northfield Park, Matt Lewis bet $2,023 on the Browns +2 at -110 against the Commanders today. If the Browns cover, Lewis will get a payout of $3,862.09.
And BetRivers shared this first bet taken from its mobile platform:
January 1, 1:01 p.m.
Special Olympics executive Christine Hoyer made the first wager at betJACK’s Cleveland sportsbook, putting $68 on the Cavaliers to win the NBA championship. The $68 was in honor of the year 1968, when the Special Olympics was founded. BetJACK will make a donation that matches total wagers placed with betJACK during the first two hours of legal sports wagering, up to $20,000. The company launched wagering at both of its retail casinos and via its online app early Sunday morning.
January 1, 12:55 p.m.
Sunday’s Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders game is the first opportunity for those in Ohio to legally wager on a home-state team. Some sportsbooks, including PointsBet and Bet365, are offering Ohio-only specials around the game.
January 1, 1:40 a.m.
Before we call it a night, SuperBook Sports announced at 1:28 a.m. that it was live in Ohio, bringing the number of confirmed live digital operators to 11. As of now, betJACK, BetRivers, Betway, Bet365, and MVGBet had not made official announcements that they had launched.
NOW LIVE IN OHIO!
Enjoy an expansive betting menu, better odds, generous promotions and BIG Odds Boosts at https://t.co/ABx4FfPXMO and on the @SuperBookOH app 📲 Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-589-9966 — https://t.co/P7JPh09OF7 pic.twitter.com/8IEG7I07o4
— SuperBook Sports (@SuperBookSports) January 1, 2023
We’ll check back after the sun rises to add more on the first state to go live with wagering in 2023. See you then!
January 1, 1:31 a.m.
Some of Ohio’s sportsbooks took time out from launch to poke fun at Ohio State and its fans after the Buckeyes lost by a point to No. 1 Georgia in a CFP semifinal. We’re wondering if it’s too soon?
A TCU-Georgia national championship game means that both teams are from non-legal wagering states. Had No. 2 Michigan and Ohio State both won, the schools in the title game would have both been from legal wagering states for the first time since PASPA was overturned in 2018.
the Ohio State secondary trying to find Arian Smith pic.twitter.com/Wme3gKxNQx
— BetRivers Sportsbook (@BetRivers) January 1, 2023
Ohio State (+5.5) bettors sleeping tonight pic.twitter.com/fLjYvN7TIP
— betway (@betwayusa) January 1, 2023
Ohio State fans right now pic.twitter.com/4LUP1DT0Dd
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) January 1, 2023
January 1, 1:20 a.m.
Ten operators are confirmed live, including BetMGM, but some customers seem to be having initial trouble using the platform and getting promos to credit to their accounts:
Anyone else in Ohio getting this from @BetMGM ? Also the $200 free bets is broken up into $50 increments. #betmgm #sports #ohio pic.twitter.com/3vIv2HNewQ
— Deez Bolts (@RustyScrewRoy) January 1, 2023
@BetMGM new Ohio registration and my free bets haven’t loaded yet. How do I get my free bets?
— CLE_Hylt (@rewollofrettiwt) January 1, 2023
January 1, 1:07 a.m.
Jake Paul’s Betr platform made its debut when Chicago auto scion Marco Piemonte placed the first bet. The company made the announcement via Instagram:
January 1, 12:45 a.m.
As of 12:45 a.m., we can confirm that eight digital platforms are live in Ohio: FanDuel, DraftKings, Tipico, Hard Rock Digital, Caesars Sportsbook, Barstool Sportsbook, Betfred, and PointsBet. Operators are sharing photos and videos of scenes across Ohio, with celebrity wagers and a ribbon cutting at Barstool Sportsbook’s Hollywood Casino location in Dayton.
Pete Rose’s much-anticipated first bet at Hard Rock Cincinnati was a $100 wager on the Cincinnati Reds to win the 2023 World Series.
Caesars tweeted that its first digital wager was $3 on the Bears +6 (-110) against the Lions Sunday, while Hard Rock shared that consumers could win up $5,000 in bonus bets through its sign-up offer.
January 1, 12:33 a.m.
The Barstool Sportsbook in Dayton is open, but we await word on the digital book.
We're now taking bets at our Barstool Sportsbook! 😁 🏈 🏀 ⚾ pic.twitter.com/SgsdqWdFOp
— Hollywood Dayton (@HollywoodDayton) January 1, 2023
PointsBet’s online book also confirmed at 30 past the hour that it had joined the party.
OHIO – POINTSBET IS LIVE
New Year – Same Us 🔥
It's Your Move: https://t.co/Xmlal6FuUt pic.twitter.com/AodZZ0D873
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) January 1, 2023
And BetMGM announced it was live at 12:12 p.m.:
HAPPY NEW YEAR OHIO 🥂
It’s time to start winning with #TheKingofSportsbooks 🦁 pic.twitter.com/eW1T6mw6dD
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) January 1, 2023
January 1, 12:25 a.m.
Caesars went live shortly after midnight:
Ohio, @EliManning is here to welcome you to the Empire.
The app is now live, so go forth and place your bets. And remember, every bet earns with Caesars Rewards. pic.twitter.com/qlj0H7DILa
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) January 1, 2023
January 1, 12:19 p.m.
Pete Rose couldn’t look away during the final seconds of the Ohio State-Georgia game. Georgia won by a point on a missed field goal seconds before wagering went live in Ohio.
January 1, 12:15 p.m.
Check out Bernie Kosar placing his first bet at Tipico:
And sports betting is underway in Ohio https://t.co/4D51DXXIhJ
— Karen Kasler (@karenkasler) January 1, 2023
DraftKings has joined the party, too:
OHIO 🗣
It was a tough game, but we're still ringing in the New Year 🎉
We are LIVE: https://t.co/fOOoklQweJ pic.twitter.com/pfjheB0Y6T
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) January 1, 2023
January 1, 12:08 a.m.
Looks like FanDuel’s platform tied to Belterra was the first to announce its go-live:
$BYD FanDuel Group Officially Launches Mobile Sports Betting in Ohio and Announces Opening of FanDuel Sportsbook at Belterra Park Cincinnati on January 1sthttps://t.co/iYPJqldKSj
— Bloomberg Feed (@BloombergFeed) January 1, 2023
Other miscellany around the stroke of midnight:
Ohio State fans rn pic.twitter.com/PGSrOeuUTf
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) January 1, 2023
Georgia (-235 ML) is BACK in the National Championship‼️ pic.twitter.com/eiuOGjdjKM
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) January 1, 2023
Ohio Sportsbook Sign-Up Offers
bet365 Sportsbook
- Promo Code: HANDLE
- 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
- Deposit required. Bonus Bets winnings are added to Bonus Bets balance. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. New players only. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.
BetMGM Sportsbook OH (Go-Live)- Promo Code: HANDLEMATCH
- Great new customer promotion
- 21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
FanDuel Sportsbook- No Promo Code Required
- Tons of Props on 16+ Sports
- 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Fanatics Sportsbook- Exclusive Beta Access: OH, TN
- Available on iOS, Android
- Complete Survey -> Get Early Access
- 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
PointsBet Sportsbook- No Promo Code Required
- $1,000 in 2nd Chance Bonus Bets
- 21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
January 1, 12:01 a.m.
As the clock strikes midnight and betting goes live, Georgia beats Ohio State, 42-41, on a last-second field goal, ending any opportunity to bet on the game. The game was listed at midnight with Ohio State at -205 on DraftKings. And this bet becomes a loser:
On August 26, 2022 one user bet $10k on Ohio State to win the CFP…Possible payout? $40k 🤑👏 pic.twitter.com/Ky0WCQHB1j
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) January 1, 2023
December 31, 11:26 p.m.
Plenty of operators are planning to go live in Ohio, but Circa Sports isn’t among them:
We don't have any Ohio expansion news to share at the moment, but we are exploring every opportunity to bring sports betting the way it should be to as many bettors as possible. Thanks for the encouragement!
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) January 1, 2023
December 31, 11:24 p.m.
Hard Rock Cincinnati has assembled its kickoff crew, with former Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo joining Pete Rose and broadcaster Marty Brennaman. Rose will place the first bet just after midnight.
December 31, 11:11 p.m.
With live, legal sports betting less than an hour away, the excitement has been building all day:
Under an hour until sports betting is legal in Ohio pic.twitter.com/wSTRmZEJxs
— Sarah (@doctorbeers) January 1, 2023
We're a little more than an hour away from legal sports betting in Ohio. Here's the scene at JACK in downtown Cleveland. https://t.co/ymVSwgADbp
— fox8news (@fox8news) January 1, 2023
Sports betting in Ohio becomes legal at midnight.
May the force be with you all
— Ricky Smith (@Rickonia) December 31, 2022
December 31, 10:14 p.m.
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar will place a $19,000 moneyline bet just after midnight with Tipico’s digital sportsbook for next week’s Browns vs. Steelers game, the company announced Saturday night. The bet will mark Tipico’s launch in Ohio and kick off the company’s new partnership with sports and media company BIGPLAY. Based in Cleveland, BIGPLAY will also sponsor the VIP Player Lounge and Studio at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland.
The size of Kosar’s bet is to honor the No. 19 jersey he wore when he played for the Browns from 1985-93 and was twice chosen for the Pro Bowl.
December 31, 9:30 p.m.
Here’s a list of all the digital operators set to go live Sunday:
- Barstool Sportsbook (Hollywood Casino Columbus)
- Betfred Sports (Cincinnati Bengals)
- betJACK (JACK Cleveland Casino)
- BetMGM (Northfield Park Associates)
- Betr (HOF Village Newco, LLC)
- BetRivers (Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway)
- Betway (Belterra Park)
- bet365 (Cleveland Guardians Baseball Company)
- Caesars Sportsbook (Scioto Downs)
- DraftKings (Hollywood Casino Toledo)
- FanDuel (Belterra Park)
- Gamewise/MVGBet (Miami Valley Gaming and Racing)
- PointsBet (Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley)
- Hard Rock Digital (Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati)
- SuperBook (FC Cincinnati Holdings)
- Tipico (Crew SC Stadium Company)
And all the brick-and-mortar locations:
- Belterra Park (FanDuel)
- FC Cincinnati at Taft’s Ale House (Superbook)
- Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati (Hard Rock Digital)
- Hollywood Casino Columbus (Barstool Sportsbook)
- Hollywood Casino Toledo (Barstool Sportsbook)
- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway (Barstool Sportsbook)
- Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley (Barstool Sportsbook)
- JACK Cleveland Casino (betJACK)
- JACK Thistledown Racino (betJACK)
- Northfield Park (BetMGM)
- Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (Caesars Sportsbook)
- Scioto Downs (Caesars Sportsbook)
- The Cincinnati Reds at the Machine Room (BetMGM)
December 31, 9 p.m.
On the eve of its debut in Ohio, DraftKings received unfavorable news when the OCCC tagged it for a rules violation for marketing to those under the legal age to gamble. It was the second such action by the commission since the middle of December.
The OCCC in early December announced a violation that could cost Barstool Sportsbook $250,000, and on Friday it announced it would potentially fine DraftKings $350,000. Barstool Sportsbook allegedly broke the commission’s advertising rules when it took its College Football Countdown Show on the road to Toledo in September. DraftKings allegedly sent up to 2,500 fliers to consumers under the age of 21.
“The Commission has been very clear about the rules and standards for sports gaming advertising with the industry, and are disappointed with the lack of compliance we have seen despite reminders,” Matthew Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, said in a press release. “While we do not take administrative action lightly, DraftKings’ conduct in this case warrants the Commission’s intervention to ensure the integrity of sports gaming.”
Both companies are entitled to a public hearing, and final action on the fines would take place at a public meeting. PENN Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said at a Massachusetts Gaming Commission review of his company’s retail application in that state this month that told that PENN would pay the OCCC fine and move forward. Snowden said the violation was made in error, but he also suggested that the OCCC’s definition around advertising wasn’t clear.
21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
