There will be several ways to get down a wager over the internet when legal sports betting goes live in the Buckeye State on January 1 - but the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos and other licensed gaming spots will also be ready as well.
Retail and online sports betting sites in Ohio will technically start taking action on Sunday morning, just after the clock strikes midnight and the New Year begins.
While it may be easy enough for someone 21 or older to sign up and start wagering with an online sportsbook on January 1, there may be others who want a more tangible experience. For those bettors, there will be brick-and-mortar sportsbooks at casinos and racinos and lottery-connected kiosks at bars and restaurants they can use to place wagers.
Several casinos have been putting the finishing touches on their retail sportsbooks and some operators even have gala-like openings for the start of legal sports betting in Ohio.
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, for example, is holding a New Year’s Eve party hosted by Bengals running back Joe Mixon that will culminate with the opening of its retail sportsbook at 12:01 a.m. on January 1. Notorious baseball legend Pete Rose is scheduled to place the first bet at the facility shortly after midnight.
.@Hardrock_Cincy previewed its new Sportsbook Lounge today. With personal bays, a private bar and specialized menu, it's Cincinnati's new home for Gameday! Opening January 1. pic.twitter.com/1jdLMrd3Vg
Near Cleveland, MGM Northfield Park and BetMGM plan to let guests watch football in their retail sportsbook all day on December 31. Then, just after midnight, one customer will be chosen to place the first bet at the facility and the first 250 guests to wager will get a free winter hat.
PENN Entertainment Inc.-operated Hollywood Casino Columbus is preparing to open a retail version of the company's Barstool Sportsbook. Although the finished product won't be ready on New Year's, the casino plans to have a temporary betting area with kiosks and ticket windows open on January 1, according to a report from ABC 6/FOX28.
How about another sneak peek of our @BSSportsbook ???? pic.twitter.com/w6dYIYOaTR
Several retail sportsbooks will be run by online sportsbook operators. SuperBook Sports will operate a retail betting location in downtown Cincinnati at Taft's Ale House and offer its mobile app to Buckeye State residents as well on January 1.
Ohio's sports-betting law will allow for up to 40 brick-and-mortar sportsbooks to open at casinos and professional sports venues, among other places. The law also caps the number of brick-and-mortar books per county based on population; for instance, in Cuyahoga County, there can be as many as five retail books.
But sportsbooks based in casinos and professional sports facilities will be just one leg of Ohio’s three-pronged sports betting launch. There could be as many as 20 online sportsbooks that go live on January 1, as well as hundreds of bars, restaurants, and other locations that will have lottery-connected kiosks then or in the future.