Ohio: Dozens of bars, restaurants pre-qualified for sports betting ahead of market launch

Dozens of restaurants and bars in Ohio have pre-qualified to offer sports betting ahead of the upcoming market launch, set for January 1. The Ohio Lottery has released a list of businesses that could be approved for the market, which shows strong interest from this segment.

The list includes several businesses in the Miami Valley, in southwest Ohio. Among interested parties in sports betting is Geez Grill & Pub, which believes its customers would appreciate a wagering addition. Its manager is seeking to install a kiosk in the restaurant.

“People come out to eat for entertainment,” Manager Mario Giallombardo told 2 News. “The opportunity to bet on your favorite team just makes you have an even better time than you have, and you might win some money and maybe you buy a couple of drinks for your friends.”

Giallombardo believes sports betting will keep people in local restaurants longer and bring in more revenue for those businesses. That’s the same motivation that has led others to apply for a Type C license, including nearly 50 venues in the Miami Valley.

Holy Grail Tavern & Grille at the Banks, another Ohio bar seeking to offer betting

While pre-qualification does not necessarily mean a business will get approved for a permit, it implies the recommendations will go to the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), which is in charge of regulation and has the final say. 

Under the state’s sports betting law, the OCCC allows licensed lottery establishments with liquor permits to apply for a sports wagering license. Customers of these establishments would be able to place wagers on collegiate, professional and Olympic sporting events.

Supporters see many benefits from this gambling expansion. Allowing bars and restaurants to join the market will make gambling easier for sports fans, which currently have to go to further lengths to bet, sometimes outside of the state. But naturally, it is also convenient for the venues themselves, being a potentially big source of support for local businesses.

“This will add another layer and gives people another reason to come out and enjoy the atmosphere,” Little York Tavern & Pizza in Vandalia’s General Manager Thomas Heil told Dayton Daily News. The decision to apply for a sports betting kiosk was an easy one for this venue, which sees it as “another opportunity to branch out.”

Grand Central Restaurant and Sportsbook in Washington, DC's first sports betting bar

Bars and restaurants owners have good reasons to believe sports betting will be a positive addition to their offerings. According to a study by food and drink consultancy CGA Strategy from last year, sports betting can be highly beneficial to these venues. The firm looked into the effect mobile sports betting has in these establishments by using Illinois as a test subject.

The study shows that over 20% of patrons say they’ve engaged with mobile wagering apps while at their chosen establishment. And what’s more, seven out of 10 sports bettors said they are likely to stick around to order another drink if they had action on a game.

“Operators must offer consumers value they cannot replicate at home in order to become a sports betting destination,” said Alexandra Martin, CGA’s analytics director. “A predictable schedule of televised games available along with compelling food and drink offers can help bars build sustainable incremental revenue.”

According to the report, 71% of people who have bet on sports while at a bar or restaurant said they’d extend their stay if they were watching a game they had bet on. And what’s more, 12% of those people said they are typically liquor drinkers.

Elys Game Technology Chairman Michele Ciavarella 

It’s no wonder then that bars and restaurants are seeking to join the action. And sports betting providers, too: Elys Game Technology has now become the first company to apply for a Type C license for kiosks in Ohio. 

The firm is seeking to expand its small establishments model, which it first launched in D.C. in October 2021. This has proven to be a successful model thus far, and Elys opened its 4th and 5th white label sportsbooks at two Washington DC restaurants and bars last month.

All Ohio sportsbooks will commence operations on January 1, 2023, which was set by the Casino Control Commission as the universal launch date. The OCCC is currently in the process of creating rules, applications, forms and other essentials to launch. The state estimates that 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.