Betting at the bowling alley
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Ohioans will soon be able to take an over on the Buckeyes while shopping for groceries, or book a parlay in between bowling frames.
Driving the news: As of Aug. 5, more than 1,000 bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and even grocery stores across the state have received pre-approval from the Ohio Lottery to potentially host sports betting kiosks.
- Around 400 of them have applied for sports betting license to date, per the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
- This includes 150 locations in Franklin County, from Roosters wing joints to Holiday Lanes on East Broad Street.
Why it matters: Once legalized on Jan. 1, Ohioans are expected to wager billions of dollars on sports each year. The bulk of these bets will be placed via phone apps, but small businesses that can host physical kiosks want a slice of the remaining pie.
State of play: Ohio regulators are in the process of setting up the legal sports betting system ahead of the launch date.
- The state will soon grant licenses to betting apps along with brick-and-mortar books in casinos and stadiums.
- A third type of license will allow smaller wagers at some existing lottery retailers.
Details: The exact betting rules in these locations haven't been determined yet.
- The Ohio Lottery has suggested a cap of $700 per wager on simple bets, like over/under on point totals and game spreads.
- A state regulatory agency will rule on these proposals before the launch date.
The bottom line: Fans want to bet legally, businesses want the foot traffic and Ohio wants the tax revenue.
- This win-win-win scenario kicks off on New Year's Day.
Explore an interactive map of applicants.
Editor's note: This story and caption have been corrected to note that 400 private businesses across the state have applied for sports betting licenses, not 1,000, which is the number of businesses that have received pre-approval to apply for the licenses.