How betting is changing everything about the way we watch sports in Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sports betting is here, and in Ohio it seems like sportsbook options are about to pop up everywhere as soon as the calendar flips to the new year.

Lawmakers approved legislation late last year allowing residents to place sports bets online, at casinos, racinos, and at stand-alone betting kiosks in bars, restaurants and professional sports facilities.

At the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, Ohio residents will be able to place wagers on professional sports teams, motor sports, Olympic events, golf and tennis and major college sports such as football and basketball.

Ohio joins more than 30 states that have passed legislation since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a federal ban on states legalizing sports wagering.

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The lead-up to Ohio’s sports gambling debut has been overwhelming. Beyond the dozens of apps available at your fingertips, several on-site betting facilities are set to debut, or are in the works across the state, including at Jack Cleveland Casino downtown, the MGM Northfield Park and Jack Thistledown Racino in North Randall .

Cleveland’s pro teams also are getting in on the act. The Browns, Cavaliers and Guardians all have been approved for sportsbook licenses. The Cavs will open first, debuting a 10,000 square foot state-of-the-art Vegas-style sportsbook at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday that features wall-to-wall flat-screen televisions, five betting windows, and 15 kiosks.

Ubiquitous ads and promotions for DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and several other sportsbook apps dominate local television, radio and online advertising.

More than any of that, the arrival of the gambling element is already changing how we talk about, view and consume professional and college sports. The language of money lines, over/under, prop bets and futures already has permeated broadcasts and online media.

Network studio analysts are providing picks and best bets before they send viewers out to the games. Broadcasts even offer on-screen updates on betting lines and odds.

The bottom line is that moving forward, gambling in Ohio is going to be an integral and inextricable part of everyday life when it comes to how we view and consume sports and media moving forward.

Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, said partnering with a well-established brand such as Caesars Sportsbook gave the Cavs options in creating an immersive experience that meets the needs of sports gamblers prescriptively.

“We’re incredibly excited about how we think it amplifies the fan experience,” Barlage said. “Fans are going to be doing this. They’re finding ways to do it, and for us, we want to be able to streamline that experience because it’s already a part of our fans’ journey as it sits here today.”

A recent survey published by PlayUSA.com indicated that as the number of states legalizing sports betting continues to grow, so does the number of people actually placing bets on games and players. The study showed 76% of those surveyed want to see more sportsbooks and more options in their areas. The NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and college football and basketball lead the way in popularity among novice gamblers.

Fans who place bets tend to watch more sports, and are more likely to seek other sources of sports-related entertainment, according to the survey.

“If you bet on a game, you’re 40% more likely to attend or to watch that game,” Barlage said. “For us, we think it’s a great way for us to create another layer of engagement with our fans.”

Even casual viewers will recognize the seemingly nonstop ads for sportsbooks, featuring celebrities such as Shaquille O’Neal, J.B. Smoove, Jamie Foxx and Charles Barkley.

Suddenly, sports betting is very in-your-face.

Bob Wankel is director of performance media services at XLMedia, a digital-media company that specializes in sports betting. He says traditional sports media has already begun to alter its coverage and tailor content to bettors, whether it is on broadcasts, in print or online.

“They’re really diving into it,” Wankel said. “They talk about player props and they are really catering to a betting audience. We see a lot of it in our pregame shows, even when they cut in during halftimes, they’ll talk about the point spread and what it was before the game, what it is now. They’ll talk about how the lines have shifted, if there’s any potential value.”

But does sports gambling really expand consumer interest in games that would normally go unwatched?

Wankel says during college football’s bowl season, some matchups might not be particularly interesting to the general viewer, but if those same viewers can open up a sports betting app and play along, or throw a little money on a prop bet, games that might get overlooked garner some extra attention

“You have a general core group of sports fans that will consume whatever is on,” Wankel said. “Then you have another subset that will consume your four primary sports. But there is a marginal gain in terms of attention when you have mobile online sports betting available. It definitely expands interest in games.”

That expanding interest can mean big dollars for pro sports leagues. The advertising take alone during the recently completed World Series between Philadelphia and Houston garnered multiple millions for MLB, and brand sponsorships can help a league rake in even more.

“It’s a direct pipeline to the exact customer that they’re targeting,” Wankel said. “It doesn’t get any more efficient than that.”

Barlage said the Cavaliers set out to create a gambling space that connected their arena to the downtown footprint and provided a more “transient” feel.

“Ultimately it’s really an elevated experience by having a high-end sports bar wrapped around that to provide somebody a comforting confines to be able to educate themselves on the sports betting opportunities,” Barlage said. “We wanted the space to be very flexible and versatile where it can meet every person where they are at on the spectrum of sports betting.”

Many sportsbook operators will ante up a lot of cash to be able to say they are the official partner of a particular league. The leagues sell rights to logos, names and likenesses to the apps, and in turn that gives the apps a little more credibility.

Pro sports leagues resisted this trend for a long time under the guise of integrity. Now they see a big opportunity.

Meanwhile, the audience for sports gambling content is expanding and getting younger.

“Sports betting has been around in America forever, it’s not a new concept,” Wankel said. “But the fact that it’s on commercials and it’s being integrated into broadcasts, it’s something that the younger generation is growing up with and more adaptable to. There’s definitely a market all across demographics for this.”

That also raises questions about ethics in terms of how gambling sites advertise, and the way they phrase “enticements,” otherwise known as the “free bets” and “risk-free bets” that so many outlets are promoting with codes and offers ahead of Ohio’s launch.

Competition among sportsbooks can breed that predatory feel, and with Ohio becoming such a fertile ground for operators, there are going to be a lot of different options for sports bettors to take in. Wankel said it’s not just competitive odds that can entice players, it’s a smorgasbord of betting options that will be available.

“As you look around and shop the different apps, it’s almost like buying a new car,” Wankel says. “There are certain games that are going to be priced more favorably in terms of what you want. That’s a consideration.”

New player bonuses, sign-up offers, and recurring customer offers are going to be key for novice players. Certain apps prioritize bringing their customers back with incentives such as loyalty points and rewards.

Likewise, the amount of betting options available is important for a sportsbook app. It’s not just about pregame bets anymore, or picking winners or over/under or the point spread. Wankel speculates that in-game betting is going to be massive in Ohio, and the scope of betting options is going to drive a lot of bettors toward certain apps over others.

Barlage said bettors are already finding ways to place bets, but opening sportsbooks in Ohio will spur a regulated ecosystem for those people to engage with opportunities comfortably.

“We’re creating an environment that is ultimately regulated and has checks and balances with it,” Barlage said. “That creates a much higher degree of integrity, and that’s important.”

Bettors are also being driven to a variety of sources for advice on making their wagers. Before the 2018 Supreme Court decision allowing sports betting nationally, gamblers could buy advice through 1-800 phone numbers or shady internet sites that promised big payoffs or a “lock…