Ohio: MLB legend Peter Rose to place inaugural sports bet at Hard Rock Cincinnati's sportsbook

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 on January 1.

The Hard Rock Sportsbook will officially open on Sunday, January 1, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. when sports betting becomes legal in the state. The legislation allowing the activity in Ohio was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine in late 2021.

The amenity will be located adjacent to the Hard Rock Cafe, says wlwt.com, which first reported the news. It will feature a lounge area, 33 betting kiosks and betting windows. Several Cincinnati celebrities will be joining the former Cincinnati Reds player at the launch, including Hall of Fame Broadcaster Marty Brennaman, Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Wineberg, and a number of Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals legends.

The Cincinnati retail betting site will be one of many in the jurisdiction with major sportsbooks also planned for casinos in Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. Online sportsbooks, also allowed under state law, are expected to launch on Jan. 1 as well. 

Last week, 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.

Ahead of the launch of Ohio’s sports betting market, the Ohio Casino Control Commission has approved several operators to kickstart their activities as soon as launch day arrives. FanDuel and Barstool Sportsbook were greenlit recently, along with the first round of Class C licensees. 

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.