The countdown to Ohio sports betting is on.
With sports betting in Ohio set to kick off on Jan. 1, many sportsbooks are preparing to start taking bets on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
Hollywood Casino Columbus is hosting a New Year’s Eve party where guests will be able to place in-person bets starting at 12:01 a.m.
Construction on Hollywood’s new brick-and-mortar Barstool Sportsbook won’t be finished by New Year’s, but a temporary sportsbook will be located in front of the poker room for the party. Attendees can place bets at kiosks or at the poker podium.
The Barstool Sportsbook is slated to open in February.
Barstool Sportsbook app goes live for New Year’s
Hollywood Casino Columbus also partnered with Barstool Sportsbook to provide a mobile sports betting app in Ohio.
So even though in-person visitors will have to wait a bit longer to see the new Barstool Sportsbook retail location at Hollywood Columbus, anyone will be able to download the Barstool Sportsbook Ohio app and start betting on New Year’s Eve.
Leading up to launch day, the casino will have a Barstool Sportsbook “tech tent” set up on Fridays to assist guests in signing up for the new app.
With an activated account, you’ll be able to place bets after midnight on New Year’s Day. The tech tent will be set up on Fridays from 4-6 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.
Chances to win a car or cash at Hollywood Columbus
The Hollywood Columbus new year’s festivities will include a drawing for a chance to win a 2023 Chevy Camaro or $30,000 in cash. The casino’s mychoice rewards members can earn entries from now until 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve by playing table games and slots. On Mondays in December, players can activate entry multipliers by swiping their card at a kiosk.
Hollywood is rolling out the VIP Mega Wheel for the event, also for mychoice members. Visit a mychoice kiosk to print your entries from noon-9:45 p.m. The drum opens at 7 p.m. and drawings will be held from 8-10 p.m. for a chance to spin the wheel to win $10,000 cash.
The casino is open 24 hours and has over 2,200 slots, 70 table games, 36 tables of live poker and more. The new Barstool Sportsbook will soon add another draw for visitors.
Food options aplenty at Hollywood Columbus
The on-site restaurants will be open late for New Year’s, so no one will go hungry at this party.
For a higher-end experience, The Lounge at Final Cut will be open from 4-11 p.m. for dining, and the bar is open until 1 a.m. Reservations are required.
Guests will be eating good at o.h. Sports Bar and Grill, which is offering a special consisting of a 14 oz. ribeye steak, ½ lb. of crab, mashed potatoes and green beans for $27.99. Open from 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Take note that restaurant hours vary. Other dining options at Hollywood are:
- Zen Noodle: 11:30 a.m-4 a.m.
- Wahlburgers: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
- Mikey’s Late Night Slice: Noon-2 a.m.
- Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace: Noon-11 a.m.
- Whiskey Patio: 4 p.m.-midnight
Ohio approves 28 sportsbooks for Jan. 1 launch
The Hard Rock Columbus retail sportsbook and Barstool Sportsbook app were among 28 sportsbooks fully licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission this week.
Twelve retail sportsbooks and 16 online sportsbooks are green-lit to begin business on Jan. 1.
More could still be licensed before Jan. 1, and others have chosen to launch at a later date and will receive their licenses later.
