The timing of the rollout for Ohio sports betting is just a few hours late for some football fans.
Ohio State is scheduled to play No. 1 Georgia in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at 8 p.m. That means fans of the Buckeyes will not be able to back the scarlet and grey against the Bulldogs by just a few hours.
Ohio Casino Control Commission Director of Communications Jessica Franks said the OCCC has received questions regarding the potential of moving the launch date up, but Jan. 1 remains the day.
“While the Commission received inquiries regarding a change to the launch of sports gaming, in order to keep the start date universal for those looking to launch as required by law, sports gaming in Ohio will begin on Jan. 1, 2023,” Franks told BetOhio.
Even though Ohio sports betting apps won’t be live, BetMGM has Ohio State as a 6.5-point underdog to Georgia.
The Buckeyes are +185 on the moneyline and Georgia is -225. The over-under expects a shootout at 62.5 points.
To win the national title, Ohio State is at +350, behind Georgia (-145) and Michigan (+350). TCU is the longest shot of the four, at +1600.
Keep an eye out for BetMGM Ohio bonus codes as well as those for the other sites that launch Jan. 1.
Penn Entertainment Faces Fine
Penn Entertainment is facing a $250K fine from the Ohio Casino Control Commission after it was deemed Barstool Sports targeted underage bettors during its live show at the University of Toledo on Nov. 15 before the Toledo Rockets’ football team faced Bowling Green.
Barstool Sportsbook Ohio, which offers its gambling services through Penn Entertainment, targeted or advertised sports gambling to those under the age of 21 and advertised on or near a college campus, according to the OCCC.
PlayUp License Pulled
PlayUp’s application to become one of Ohio’s many sportsbook operators was denied by the Ohio Casino Control Commission for illegal gambling violations.
PlayUp, which offers sports betting in a few states already, promoted a sports gaming product to Ohio bettors, falsely claiming it was legal to play, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Stay close to BetOhio.com as the state gets ready to ring in 2023 with a sports betting bang. The site also offers Ohio sportsbook promo codes.