Chris Boline
Some massive news has arrived for people waiting for legal sports betting to arrive to Ohio in January of 2023: there’s been a big change. That’s because Ohio sports betting could now launch in October, three months earlier than anticipated. This is obviously major for multiple reasons and people all over the state couldn’t be more excited about the update.
Things indeed were originally to get started in January of 2023. However, officials have been able to speed up the process in order to get things launched ahead of schedule. While it hasn’t been set in stone that October will be 100 percent locked in, state senators think that this is a realistic option and there’s strong belief that October will be when things will be open.
You better believe that people are going to be checking the best rated sportsbooks leading up to the official launch to get their wagers in. Right now, though, people must remember that sports betting is still not allowed. People would have loved to be able to bet on sports over the summer months, but there’s no chance that’s going to happen, as October indeed is the earliest date.
While this is a bummer for people who wanted to bet on the baseball season, as there’s strong popularity for Major League Baseball in the state, things are going to have to wait until next season. However, the fact that October is now being looked at will open the door for a big fall to potentially arrive for bettors. Once the football season gets here, the anticipation will keep building.
January 2023 Debut Of Ohio Sports Betting Now Set For October 2022 – https://t.co/pZrGsJWxgZ https://t.co/qugUsMspfY #SportsBetting #Betting #Gambling
— Sports News & Videos (@robinsportsnews) May 16, 2022
NFL betting will be massive for Ohio this fall
It goes without saying, but NFL betting will be massive in Ohio this fall once things go through. Despite the NFL season starting in early September, people are going to be chomping at the bit to place wagers the following month. A big reason for that will be the excitement surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals, especially after they were so strong last season.
In the 2021 campaign, the Bengals stunned so many people, as they ended up winning the AFC Championship Game and moved on to the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl, the Bengals put on a show but unfortunately suffered a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Despite that, the future is looking bright for this team thanks to so much young talent they’ve got on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, the group is led by quarterback Joe Burrow, running back Joe Mixon and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Chase and Burrow were reunited in Cincinnati after they helped LSU win the National Championship a few years back. Chase was nothing short of brilliant during his first season with the Bengals and more greatness is expected to come from him in 2022.
As for Burrow, he has turned into one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. He’s got ice in his veins and has people dreaming of him powering the team to a Super Bowl betting win at some point in the next few years. Mixon runs with force too, so don’t forget about him. All in all, the Bengals are a team to watch closely and you know that countless wagers will be coming in on them starting in October.
The 2022 schedule is here…
All that's left is to #RuleTheJungle🎟 Single game tickets are on sale at https://t.co/RXVXLVIV5Y pic.twitter.com/P27YHHHCoV
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) May 13, 2022
A January start world cost Ohio big time
One thing to keep in mind here is that a January start would cost Ohio big time. While it’s all good that sports betting will be coming, missing out on the majority of the NFL regular season would cost millions from a revenue standpoint. This is something that the state senators are surely keeping in mind as they inch closer and closer to finalizing a date.
That’s why October would be such an attractive launch date. While yes, fans would miss the first 3-4 weeks of the regular season for betting purposes, they’d still get the majority of the campaign, followed by the playoffs and of course the Super Bowl. Super Bowl prop bets are always going to be huge for NFL fans to bet on, so the sportsbooks in Ohio want to make sure that they’re ready.
Not only that, but the NBA gets started in the fall too, so this will only add to the pressure to try and make as much money as possible for other resources too. Luckily, it looks like the officials are ahead of the game here and they’re ready to try and move forward with October. While it doesn’t seem like a big deal for things to be delayed to January, it definitely would be. No one wants this to end up being the case.
In the coming weeks, we should have more information on what ends up happening with Ohio sports betting. For now, at worst, things will be going down in January. However, don’t be surprised if an announcement comes soon that October will be the official start date. That’d truly be massive for the state as a whole.
