Ever since the launch of Ohio sports betting in January 2023, the state has sought to juggle a pair of monumental agendas: effective, standard-setting regulation and quick, meaningful expansion. And quite frankly, they’re doing a pretty darn good job.
Indeed, at first glance, these can seem like warring focuses. The legalization of sports betting in the United States is so often painted as an either-or proposition. States can focus on expansion, accessibility and, in some cases, loosening laws. Or they can try to limit the (proven) downside of legal sports gambling. They can’t do both.
Or rather, that’s the belief. The first eight-ish months of sports betting in Ohio are proof to the contrary. Make no mistake, the rollout of online sports gambling in Ohio has not gone off without a hitch. These undertakings never do. And it’s absolutely concerning that The Buckeye State has needed to issue so many fines and monitor conduct so many investigations. It makes you wonder how many gambling operator infractions across the United States go unnoticed.
Still, relative to the rest of the country, Ohio is ahead of the curve. With the exception of the launch of sports betting in Massachusetts, The Buckeye State is showing more than any other region that there can be a happy medium between the pursuit of additional revenue and enforcement and promotion of responsible gaming.
Many, of course, have openly wondered whether Ohio’s quest for balance is performative—an act they’re emphasizing only for the early going of legal sports betting. That might be possible. And yet, as we close out September 2023, the state has shown no signs of pivoting away from their dual focus.
The Expansion of Ohio Sports Betting Keeps On Keeping On
Let’s start with the latest Ohio sports betting expansion news. During this month alone, the state oversaw the launch of two additional Ohio sportsbooks.
First, there was the partnership between the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and Bally’s. Together, they will open a retail sportsbook in downtown Cleveland. Their partnership also includes special perks that coincide with the launch of the Bally’s Ohio sports betting app. Customers will be treated to special bonuses and promotions in the app and on-site at Browns games all season. And while the retail betting location has yet to open its doors, the setup of the sportsbooks has been described as “one of a kind.”
This wasn’t the only big announcement, either. The relatively new Prime Sportsbook also launched in Ohio shortly after the start of the 2023 NFL season.
Cracking one of the USA’s flagship sports betting markets can be difficult for new operators. While many are flush with cash at the beginning, they tend to fizzle out in the shadows of bigger-time, more established companies like BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel. We have seen numerous start-up types shudder operations after failing to secure a large enough market share.
Prime Sportsbook is hoping to avoid that fate by bringing an “old-school style of Vegas bookmaking” to online sportsbooks operating in the United States, according to Sports Handle’s Jeff Edelstein. It isn’t immediately clear how Prime Sportsbook is hoping to achieve this, but they have spotlighted no-limit betting, the eventual opening of special retail locations and a streamlined, no-frills user interface on their betting app as unique benefits. Time will tell whether they’ll be successful. In the meantime, their debut is significant because it means there are now 20 Ohio online betting sites up and running.
Yet Another Ohio Sports Betting Fine was Issued in September 2023
Ohio sports betting officials have not shied away from investigations and, subsequently, levying fines during the first eight months of operation. The month of September has been no different.
According to CDC Gaming, the Ohio Casino Control Commission issued a fine to Hollywood Casino Columbus in the neighborhood of $200,000. The penalty seeks to address concerns about the “security and underage gambling problems” allegedly taking place at the casino. Exact details are limited to nonexistent, but here is more from CDC Gaming:
“At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the commission announced the penalty against the PENN Entertainment property stemming from incidents that included security understaffing and the ability of individuals younger than 21 to access the casino. It was the first fine the commission issued over casino operations this year, after several prior penalties focused on new sportsbook operators. Details of the problems at Hollywood Casino were not aired publicly at the meeting. The five-page settlement agreement describes them briefly while noting PENN declined the opportunity for a hearing to contest the allegations. No PENN representative spoke on the topic at the commission meeting.”
The lack of contest from Penn Entertainment likely speaks volume. What it says, exactly, isn’t clear. Maybe it’s a nod to the role they played in allowing these issues to take place. Perhaps it speaks to the thoroughness and willingness to follow through on these investigations from the Ohio Casino Control Commission. At any rate, this is far from the first casino- or sports betting-related fine issued by the state this year. (Though, as CDC Gaming notes, this is technically the first casino-only penalty of 2023.)
States do not necessarily deserve a round of applause for monitoring legal gambling practices. That is technically an obligation they consign to when they first legalize sports betting. But not all states are as on top of the issue as Ohio has been so far. In fact, other places have actually pulled funding that goes to regulatory or problem-gambling practices.
Much like Massachusetts, Ohio appears committed to keeping operators in check. And while the frequency with which they monitor events may be unique now, that could change. If Ohio ends up having a killer opening year of legal sports betting, other states could look to explore their current policies as they look to launch gambling services themselves or simply refine some of their rules and regulations.
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