State will offer multiple wagering platforms at launch. Here’s how to get involved.

It may have taken longer than most expected — or desired — but the launch of Ohio sports betting actually couldn’t be coming at a better time for the state’s wagering enthusiasts.

Just hours before Ohio sports betting goes live, the state’s most prominent university — Ohio State — will play in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Should the Buckeyes upset top-ranked, undefeated and defending national champion Georgia, they would advance to the Jan. 9 title game — quite possibly against hated rival Michigan.

Think Ohio sports bettors might plunk down a few bucks on that one?

Staying on the gridiron, the Cincinnati Bengals are one of the hottest teams in the NFL and among a handful of favorites to win the Super Bowl.

Barring an unlikely collapse, the Bengals — who are an NFL-best 10-3 against the spread this season — will return to the playoffs for the second straight season. That means Ohio fans will be able to wager on Cincinnati as it attempts to defend its AFC championship and make consecutive Super Bowl appearances for the first time in franchise history.

» READ MORE: Full sports betting coverage from The Philadelphia Inquirer

Then there are the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are off to a surprising 17-11 start to the NBA campaign. That record is the fifth best in the NBA, with only Boston (21-7) sporting a better mark in the Eastern Conference entering Tuesday’s action.

Throw in the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and Ohio State basketball — not to mention the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds returning to the baseball diamond in March — and there will be no shortage of opportunities to bet on (and root) for in-state teams in the first few post-launch months.

But where can Ohioans place those wagers? Actually, the easier question to answer might be: Where can’t they place those wagers.

As the 32nd U.S. state — and, including Washington D.C., 33rd U.S. jurisdiction — to legalize sports betting, Ohio without question is late to arrive to America’s sports betting party.

However, the good news for residents of (and visitors to) The Buckeye State is that lawmakers passed one of the nation’s most liberal sports betting bills a year ago.

That bill gives bettors to the chance to wager from literally anywhere within the state’s borders.

Want to go full-on old school and walk into a sportsbook, plunk down your cash, walk away with a ticket and stick around to see if it cashes? You’ll be able to do that in Ohio, as more than a dozen licenses have been issued for retail sportsbooks.

Prefer to wager from the comfort of your recliner? You’ll also be able to do that in Ohio, which — unlike some states — included full mobile betting in its legislation.

Out at a restaurant or wandering through a grocery store when you realize you forgot to get your bet down? No problem. In addition to retail and mobile wagering, Ohio approved a third type of sports betting license that allows for restaurants, bars and even supermarkets to have onsite betting kiosks.

As of last week, almost 1,000 kiosk licenses had been approved for businesses throughout the state. Not all will be up and running when Ohio sports betting goes live Jan. 1, but many will be.

» READ MORE: Ohio sports betting: How the Buckeye State finally got in the game

Are you an Ohio sports fans who likes to place some action while watching the action in person? Well, you’re in luck there, too. That’s because several of the state’s pro franchises have entered into retail and/or online partnerships with multiple sportsbooks.

This includes: the Cleveland Browns (Bally’s Interactive), Cleveland Guardians (bet365), Cleveland Cavaliers (Fubo Gaming), Cincinnati Bengals (BetFred) and Columbus Blue Jackets (BetFanatics).

Again, not all facilities will be operational when Ohio’s sports betting law takes effect at midnight on New Year’s Day. But at least lawmakers had the foresight to ensure that the state’s residents and visitors will have plenty of convenient options to get in the sports betting game if they desire.

In that way, the long wait — which is almost over — was worth it.

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