- Ohio will allow collegiate sports betting when their infrastructure is up and running.
- The launch date is expected to be sometime in January 2023.
- There will be three tiers of sports betting licenses in Ohio.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio’s sports betting legalization process will include sports betting on college events, according to Ohio Casino Control Commission Executive Director Matt Schuler.
Schuler was very clear that collegiate athletics were not exempt from the state’s attempt to regulate sports betting.
“That’s the big question: Will people be able to bet on the Ohio State Buckeyes?” Schuler said. “Yes, they will.”
The Ohio State Buckeyes are arguably the most important team in the state of Ohio, and it would be at least a bit foolish to attempt to exclude them from Ohio sports betting.
Schuler is aware of the major arguments against collegiate betting, most of them revolving around the integrity of games made up of mostly unpaid athletes. That’s a risk that both he and the Commission are prepared to take, it seems.
“If the Commission is presented with a scenario where its intervention is needed for the purpose of integrity and managing risk, then the commission will absolutely consider that and take whatever measures are necessary to do so,” Schuler noted.
What Will Ohio’s Sports Betting Landscape Be?
With this confirmation, it seems clear that Ohio will have a fully-fledged sports betting landscape when it is fully regulated. In addition to not restricting wagers on collegiate athletics, they’re introducing a three-tiered licensing system to encourage different kinds of sports betting.
Licenses will be divided between Class A, Class B and Class C, with each aimed at facilitating a different style of sports betting, both online and offline.
Class A licenses are built for mobile sports betting, and will be issued to major online sports betting companies.
Class B licenses were created for the purposes of sports betting in a specific area, whether that area be a sports stadium, a casino or a racino.
Class C licenses will be much more widespread, and they’re set to be issued to bars and restaurants along with mobile betting kiosks.
Online gambling fans can look forward to Ohio’s rollout, which is expected to be completed by January 2023.