Ohio sports betting regulators have now given the green light to a dozen mobile operators that could launch in the Buckeye State early next year when legal wagering begins.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission conditionally approved the latest batch of mobile management services provider licenses on Wednesday, which will enable those operators to offer online sports betting sites on behalf of their “proprietor” partners.
BetMGM, BetRivers, DraftKings, Hard Rock Sportsbook, and Tipico were all conditionally approved for five-year mobile management services provider licenses by the commission. BetMGM, Hard Rock, Tipico, and BetRivers were given the nod for retail sports betting operator licenses as well.
The latest approvals mean the Ohio Casino Control Commission has approved 12 operators of online sportsbooks so far:
- Barstool
- FanDuel
- PointsBet
- Caesars
- Betfred
- bet365
- SuperBook
- BetMGM
- DraftKings
- Hard Rock
- Tipico
- BetRivers
More companies are likely to receive licenses as the Buckeye State’s Jan. 1, 2023, universal start date for legal sports betting draws nearer. Regulators are processing applications and gaming commissioners are approving them at a relatively brisk rate.
Ohio’s sports-betting law initially allows for up to 25 online sports betting licenses to be awarded to proprietors, such as casinos and professional sports teams, who can partner with up to two mobile management services providers, such as BetMGM and BetRivers.
There are 40 proprietor licenses available for brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in Ohio as well, in addition to more than a thousand businesses that could host lottery-linked sports-betting kiosks.
Grab your partner
Also approved for retail and online proprietor licenses on Wednesday were the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati (which is, unsurprisingly, partnered with Hard Rock Sportsbook for retail and mobile wagering), Miami Valley Gaming and Racing, and HOF Village Newco LLC.
Miami Valley is proposing that Gamewise LLC offer mobile sports betting on its behalf. Gamewise is the company behind the online sportsbook Betly.
HOF Village Newco is a subsidiary of Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Co., which is the owner of the professional football-related Hall of Fame Village in Canton. HOF Village is proposing to partner with micro-betting startup Betr for mobile wagering, while it intends to use BetRivers for a retail sportsbook.
However, the new licensees will have to wait until January 1, at the very least, before they start taking bets.
