For those of you that like to put a little friendly wager on sports, you can soon do it officially and legally in Ohio. That’s because the Columbus Dispatch reported on Wednesday (subscription required) that Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill that will make the ability to wager on sports in Ohio legal.
But here’s the bad news for college football fans. You won’t be able to get into the action for football season because the bill does not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2023 — at the latest. OK, so maybe you can bet on a bowl game or ahem — the CFP national championship game, but you get the idea.
Sports betting in Ohio will begin on January 1. While licenses still have to be awarded, the Casino Control Commission has announced that will be the start date. The first Bengals game to bet legally will be the January 2 Monday Night game versus the Bills.
— 700WLW (@700wlw) June 1, 2022
“We want to get this up and running as soon as possible, but we’re building a whole new industry,” said Sen. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton. “We’re hoping it can be done sooner (than 2023.)”
The delay can be attributed to all the nuts and bolts that go into crafting rules and regulations that will take months to identify and define.
Ohio will now join a growing list of states allowing online sports betting and you can only expect it to grow.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.
Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
