Officials are speeding up the application period for sports betting licenses in the state of Ohio.
The state’s Casino Control Commission originally anticipated that the application period wouldn’t begin until late summer or early fall. That changed late last week after officials announced that draft applications that were available for public comment will be finalized and available to prospective applicants by June 1.
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There will be two application windows. The first will run from June 15 to July 15 and be open to Ohio-based license holders, first mobile partners, and suppliers. The second window will run from July 15 to August 15 and will be open to applicants looking to host lottery kiosks with sports betting options, and mobile operator that have been designated as a second skin.
There could be as many as 42 mobile sport betting licenses issued in the state. At least one mobile license is available to every casino, racino, pro sports team, and pro sports organization in the state.
There are eight professional teams, two sports organizations (the PGA and NASCAR) and 11 combined casinos and racinos in the state. That adds up to 21, but each licensee can also apply for a second license to launch a second sports betting skin. That’s up to 42 licenses.
When the bill to legalize sports betting in the state passed last year it required the industry to go live by January 1, 2023. That isn’t the only deadline that could determine when Ohio residents can start placing bets.
All sportsbook operators must have responsible gaming plans, house rules, and geolocation procedures in place 60 days before launch. All equipment must also be verified by state regulators 30 days before launch.
