When does it launch? How sports betting in the Buckeye State came to be

On Dec 7, 2022

Ohio residents who like to wager on sports are bracing for a New Year’s celebration like never before. Because when the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, 2023, sports betting in Ohio will officially become legal.

At that point, the state’s residents will be able to place wagers at multiple online and brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

Ohio will become the 33rd U.S. jurisdiction — 32 states, plus Washington, D.C. — to permit sports betting within its borders. And the timing couldn’t be better, as multiple professional and collegiate sports teams within The Buckeye State have been riding high in 2022.

Here’s a look at the process that resulted in Ohio becoming the latest entity to join the sports betting game.

The U.S. Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting when it overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018.

With that ruling, SCOTUS effectively put the sports betting ball in the hands of state lawmakers: Any jurisdiction that wanted to join Nevada in allowing legalized sports betting now had the opportunity to do so.

Several states moved quickly to pass sports betting legislation and begin offering mobile and/or in-person wagering. Others were methodical in their approach — including Ohio.

Despite being home to millions of passionate sports fans, six major professional franchises and a university (Ohio State) with a nationally renowned athletic program, Ohio stood on the sports betting sidelines for more than 3½ years after PASPA was shot down.

That finally changed in late 2021. After previous attempts to put together a sports betting bill failed, state lawmakers emerged from some behind-the-scenes negotiations on Dec. 8, 2021, with House Bill (HB) 29.

The legislation, which would permit full-scale mobile and retail sports betting through the issuance of three types of sports betting licenses, was introduced in both the Senate and House. It overwhelmingly passed in both chambers on the same day, with the Senate voting 31-1 and the House voting 72-12.

Soon after — on Dec. 22, to be exact — Governor Mike DeWine signed HB29 into law.

With that, Ohio joined bordering Midwestern states such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana and Michigan on the sports betting playing field.

A provision in HB29 stipulated that sports betting in Ohio would open for business no later than Jan. 1, 2023. Although some lawmakers hoped to go live ahead of the deadline, it never happened.

Still, as soon as the calendar flips from 2022 to 2023, Ohio sports bettors will be able to place their action in multiple ways. And unlike in some states, there will be no restrictions when it comes to wagering on in-state collegiate teams.

One of the nation’s most liberal sports betting bills, HB29 will permit residents to open mobile accounts with dozens of licensed and regulated online sportsbooks. Those residents also can place wagers at casinos, racetracks, professional sports venues, restaurants, bars and even kiosks at supermarkets.

So far, 16 sportsbooks — including BetMGM, FanDuel and Caesars — are set to begin accepting bets on Jan. 1. Many more will follow, as the Ohio Casino Control Commission has approved more than 40 mobile and retail sports betting licenses.

That means residents from Cincinnati to Cleveland, Columbus to Toledo, and all points in between, will have no shortage of betting options.

Indeed, for Ohio sports fans, New Year’s Day cannot come soon enough.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.