Operators looking to launch sports betting in Ohio could see applications soon, according to the Casino Control Commission.
The applications for Ohio sportsbooks are not ready to be filled out, though. Operators can submit feedback on the draft applications before they are ready later this year, a commission spokesperson told LSR:
“As a reminder, the Commission cannot begin accepting license applications pertaining to sports gaming until our licensing rules are effective – we anticipate this to take place in late summer/early fall. The Commission will communicate with stakeholders as we get closer to accepting applications.”
Ohio sports betting rules process continues
The commission gave initial approval to send the fourth batch of rules to Ohio’s Common Sense Initiative Office at Wednesday’s meeting. It is one part of the eight-step rulemaking process each batch must face. Each batch will take an estimated 149 to 179 days before it is effective according to a flowchart provided by the CCC.
Sports betting in Ohio has to launch by Jan. 1, 2023, per the passed legislation. The process started in late December 2021 with the first round of rules released for public comment. The CCC can issue provisional sports betting licenses through June 30.
The fifth batch of rules was released March 7, which puts that on track for an August or September finish. That does not bode well for Ohioans who want to bet on the NFL and college football this year.
Kentucky waiting for Ohio too
It is not just Ohio residents eagerly waiting for mobile sports betting to launch in the Buckeye State.
Sports betting legislation that would have legalized Kentucky sportsbooks made it farther than ever in 2022. Rep. Adam Koenig‘s HB 606 finally passed the House after four years but was not taken up by the Senate.
It likely is not just a wait until Kentucky’s 2023 session starts, either. Kentucky has shorter legislative sessions in odd-numbered years, in which a three-fifths majority is also required for passage. That means it could be 2025 or later before Kentucky sees legal sports betting within its borders.
