The racino in Warren County has now been added to the growing list of establishments that were approved in Ohio to offer sports gambling when it becomes legal in the state starting next year. Miami Valley Gaming was greenlit by the Ohio Casino Control Commission Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, another racino in the Dayton region announced it will open a sportsbook on its property. Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway was approved for sports gambling in September and expects to kick start its operations on the same day sports wagering goes live in the state, on January 1, through a Barstool Sportsbook. Construction will last until the first quarter of 2023.
Once finished, the sportsbook will offer seating to 130 guests, will include a restaurant with a full-service bar, and several large-screen televisions as well as a 34-foot-wide viewing screen above the bar. “The new Barstool Sportsbook will be conveniently located directly on the gaming floor for guests looking to wager on games,” the casino noted.
Legal sports gambling will launch in Ohio on January 1, 2023. The casino control commission is in the process of approving applications and completing other essentials to launch sports betting in the state. The commission also approved Wednesday sports betting for the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati and the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Hall of Fame Village in Canton.
But sports wagering will not be an exclusive activity to racinos, as many local bars and restaurants have also received approval to offer kiosks at their establishments, and people in the state will be able to access sports betting apps through their mobile phones.
The state estimates that regulated sports betting will be a $1 billion industry in Ohio in its first year or so of operation, growing to $3.35 billion within a few years. Since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling four years ago cleared the way for all 50 states to legalize sports betting, Americans have bet more than $125 billion on sports, according to the Associated Press.
Last week, it was confirmed that former MLB star Pete Rose is set to place the first bet for the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati sportsbook once the state’s sports wagering market goes live. The Hard Rock Sportsbook will officially open on Sunday, January 1, 2023, at 12:01 a.m.
Back in October, Caesars Entertainment announced it has opened pre-registration in the state, with its Caesars Sportsbook live on desktop and its app now available for download on iOS and Android. Bettors in the jurisdiction can register and deposit funds with an early registration offer so they can place their first wagers as soon as legalized sports betting kicks off.
