Ohio: FanDuel and Barstool approved for sports betting ahead of market launch

Ahead of the launch of Ohio’s sports betting market, set for January 1, two more mobile operators have been approved to offer their services in the state. FanDuel and Barstool Sportsbook were greenlit by the Ohio Casino Control Commission at a meeting on Wednesday. The regulator also approved its first round of Class C licenses. 

FanDuel is partnered with Belterra Park Racino in Cincinnati, while Barstool is partnered with Hollywood Casino in Columbus. Both have also been approved as retail operators for their mobile partners. 

Barstool has been additionally approved to operate retail sportsbooks at Dayton Raceway and Hollywood casinos in Toledo and Youngstown, bringing the total number of approved Ohio retail sportsbook operators to nine. The Cleveland Browns, JACK Casino, JACK Thistledown Racino, and the Cincinnati Reds are also among the parties that have been approved for online (type A) and in-person (type B) licenses. 

Hollywood Casino in Columbus.

Sports betting kiosks will go live in Ohio at the first of the year as well, at hundreds of locations statewide including supermarkets, restaurants, bars and gas stations. 29 new locations were approved Wednesday too, bringing the total number to 877. 

UBetOhio was among the first to be awarded a Class C gaming license, along with Intralot, betIGG, and Skybox Sports Network. The company sells self-service betting kiosks to bars, bowling alleys and other establishments. 

Andrew Westmeyer, CEO of UBetOhio, stated: “We have brought together an investor team with more than 50 combined years of industries. Our team is excited for the opportunity to bring a full-service sports betting experience to Ohio sports fans."

On Wednesday, several new sports gaming suppliers were also approved, bringing the total number to 15. The latest batch to be greenlighted include IGT, SimpleBet, IMG Arena, Skybox Sports, and Aristotle. 

Hollywood Casino in Toledo.

On October 5, the first five mobile sportsbook operators of the state were approved. Those were PointsBet, Caesars, Betfred, bet365, and SuperBook. However, the approval of all sportsbooks and their facility partners is conditional. Potential licensees must submit their sports gaming employee applications, responsible gaming plans, facility plans, geolocation procedures and house rules by November 2. Otherwise, their launch will not coincide with the market going live on January 1. 

Ohio’s sports-betting law initially allows for up to 25 online sports betting licenses to be awarded to “proprietors,” such as a casino or sports team, who can partner with up to two mobile management services providers, such as FanDuel. 

The Ohio Casino Control Commission staff was present at the G2E conference which took place last week in Vegas, where companies that will drive the state’s sports betting market shared their latest ideas. 

OCCC Chair June Taylor said: “We are essentially seven and a half weeks away from what we are calling the launch. So we ask that you continue to work with our team and ask questions, and just be authentic in your quest to get your paperwork and everything complete.”