Ohio sports betting bill to cover major college sports, casino regulator says

Sports betting in Ohio will cover major collegiate sports, including Ohio State football, Ohio Casino Control Commission executive director Matt Schuler said on Wednesday. The state agency has been tapped to regulate the new industry once it launches.

“That’s the big question: Will people be able to bet on the Ohio State Buckeyes?” the executive said, according to Associated Press. “Yes, they will.”

Ohio’s sports betting bill was approved by the Legislature earlier this month, and has now headed to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk, who said he will sign it. The legislation calls for the creation of three types of licenses, to be overseen by the Casino Control Commission, with a start date no later than January 1, 2023.

The licenses govern three types of wagering: mobile betting, such as on a phone app (Type A); betting in brick-and-mortar venues run by casinos, racing or professional sports teams (Type B); and betting at bars and restaurants with self-service gaming kiosks (Type C). Ohio proceeds will be subject to a 10% state tax, with the money going to Ohio K-12 schools.

The Commission will have the authority to issue up to 25 Type A licenses, and up to 40 Type B licenses. Factors that may influence licensing decisions include an applicant’s “reputation, experience and financial integrity,” as well as the “nature of the applicant’s current or intended physical presence” in Ohio, and any planned “expenditures for physical infrastructure.”

The bill allows each Type A licensee to contract with only one online betting platform, except if they are professional sports teams, casino operators or racino operators, which will be permitted to partner with a second online betting platform if they demonstrate that this would “generate an incremental benefit to the state” beyond the one generated from the first platform.

Betting will be allowed to be conducted on a series of sports, including Ohio’s professional sports teams, motorsports, Olympic events, professional golf and tennis, plus major college sports, including football and basketball. However, final determinations are yet to be established by the state’s Casino Control Commission.

While the addition of collegiate sports is welcomed news for many sports fans in the state, certain Ohio universities have raised concerns about a potential negative impact of sports wagering on college sports.

“If wagering on collegiate sports is permitted, it would not take a great leap of logic to conclude the risk of student-athletes soliciting and accepting payments to influence the outcome of games may increase,” Bruce Johnson, head of the Inter-University Council of Ohio, testified before the State Senate Select Committee on Gaming in March, according to The Edwardsville Intelligencer.

Schuler has said the commission’s default position on the matter will be to include big-time collegiate sports, unless objections are raised, which could prompt the regulator to take measures.

“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,” the chief executive explained.

According to the head of the state’s Casino Control Commission, the highest volume of sports betting is expected to be done in March Madness basketball and the Super Bowl. These are traditionally the largest money maker events for sportsbooks.