It looks like the launch of sports betting will be delayed in New York and Ohio after both states missed key deadlines late last week.
In New York, the New York State Gaming Commission had until July 1 to launch a bidding process for online sportsbooks in the state. It was expected this deadline would easily be met since the commission had nearly two and a half months to develop and launch the process.
Those hopes proved to be false after the deadline passed last week without the bidding process being launched.
Why were sports betting deadlines missed?
The missed deadline mean mobile sports betting likely will not launch in New York in time for the start of the NFL season. The timeline that is assigned to the bidding process means that the earliest mobile betting could launch in New York is likely December.
Once launched the bidding process must remain open for 30 days. After those 30 days the commission has 150 in which to pick winning bids. That’s nearly six months and the process hasn’t even been launched yet.
In Ohio, law makers had until June 30 to pass a sports betting bill. The bill, SB 176 advanced through the Ohio Senate last month by a vote of 30-2. It moved on to the House where it needed to pass before June 30, or it would be pushed to the fall session.
After the House delayed the bill by calling for changes and potential hearings to debate the bill, it failed to pass by the deadline. That means the earliest that residents of Ohio will be able to legally bet on sports in their own state will be sometime this fall.
Discussions on the sports betting bill are expected to continue between the Senate and the House throughout the summer. House Speaker Bob Cupp has been quoted by local media as saying that sports betting discussions with continue so it can be a “top priority” for legislators once the fall session begins in September.
Unfortunately for prospective sports bettors in Ohio this won’t be soon enough for betting to launch prior to the upcoming NFL and college football seasons