Wednesday will be a big day for Joe Brennan Jr. That’s the day the Sports Betting Hall of Famer’s Prime Sports is expected to open in Ohio sports betting. It’s a sportsbook, he says, that will not be like most of the competition.
The executive president of Prime has been talking about the venture and sports betting in general for quite some time on social media. He’s working with Plannatech COO Adam Bjorn, another gaming industry veteran, to spread the word about Prime Sports and how they believe the industry should work. Already, they have plans to expand fairly quickly, first in New Jersey and then in Kentucky in the near future.
Brennan played a role in legalizing sports betting in New Jersey, being part of the first lawsuit that challenged the federal government’s ban on sports betting in most states. He also helped manage the campaign to get Garden State voters to approve a 2011 constitutional amendment, which eventually led to the landmark Supreme Court ruling five years ago. BetOhio.com – your source for Ohio sportsbook promos - recently spoke with Brennan about Prime Sports and the state of the industry across the country as well.
Seeking Dissatisfied Bettors
In its first year, Ohio has emerged as one of the top sports betting states in the country. That was expected, given the state’s population and rabid fanbases. While Prime Sports will be the 19th licensed online operator, Brennan still sees plenty of opportunity in the state. That’s because he’s heard directly from dissatisfied bettors in the Buckeye State as Prime has prepared for its launch.
“There’s a lot of players that have come on board into the regulated marketplace over the last nine months,” he said. “There are big brands and some of the smaller brands, and one of the most frequent things we hear . . . there’s a certain number of players dissatisfied with the experience. Whether it is, they’re getting limited, or they just can’t find high stakes or the service that they’re getting.”
Brennan said Prime Sports will be a sportsbook that welcomes all comers. Circa Sports would be a decent comparison, although Circa does have a casino to back its sports betting operations. Still, Brennan said Prime will offer high limits to customers and might consider increasing those over the NFL season.
Prime Opportunity to Expand Ohio’s Market
Unlike some Ohio sports betting apps, Prime Sports won’t have a flashy marketing campaign to announce its arrival. Nor will there be, according to Brennan, “a shower of bonus money” offered to get players to come on board.
And while there is a healthy market in Ohio, Brennan sees the opportunity to expand upon it. Prime Sports won’t just seek to cater to people who have become frustrated with other operators. There’s another segment that Brennan believes has been relatively untapped by bigger operators.
“The other thing that we’re hoping to do is capture some of those customers who are betting with offshore or street guys and start bringing those guys into the regulated market,” Brennan told BetOhio.com. “I think that’s the real opportunity here for us. I think that’s the biggest opportunity for us here in year one, everywhere we go.”
The Ohio Casino Control Commission has approved Prime Sports for both an online license and a brick-and-mortar one. It’s partnering with the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, located 40 miles northeast of Cleveland near the Pennsylvania state line. Work on a sports bar is under way, and Brennan said he’s hopeful that it can open before the end of the year.
