Ohio casinos have something extra to celebrate this New Year’s Eve: the opening of their on-location sportsbooks. JACK Entertainment properties in the Cleveland area have their sportsbooks ready to roll and will host New Year’s Eve parties, counting down to the official launch of sports betting in Ohio.
Guests at JACK Cleveland Casino and JACK Thistledown Racino can join the Ohio State Peach Bowl watch parties in the new betJACK sportsbooks on New Year’s Eve. That game starts at 8 p.m. Sports betting will kick off after the midnight countdown, and guests will be able to place their first bets at 12:01 a.m.
Special drawings will offer even more to celebrate at JACK Cleveland
Along with the retail sportsbooks, JACK is launching its sportsbook app, betJACK Sportsbook Ohio.
Starting at 7 p.m. at the Jack Cleveland Casino, guests who have downloaded the app can enter a special drawing for a chance to win $1,000 in free bets on the app. Two winners will be drawn at the end of the first quarter of the Ohio State-Georgia game, and two more will be drawn after the third quarter. You must be present to enter the drawing.
There will be other special drawings all night long. From 7 p.m. to 11:40 p.m. on Saturday, $23 or $2023 will be awarded every 20 minutes for guests who have earned entries. Guests can earn entries by using their ClubJACK card or app while playing games throughout the casino beginning at 5 a.m. Activate your entries beginning at 6 p.m.
Stick around for New Year’s Day games with a hotel package
For those who wish to continue the party and place bets on the games on New Year’s Day, the connected Renaissance Cleveland Hotel is offering its own New Year’s Eve package. The package includes:
- Overnight accommodations
- Two drink tickets to use at Cleveland Whiskey in the Lobby Court
- Breakfast for two at the New Year’s Day breakfast buffet
Party down at JACK Thistledown
Not to be outdone, JACK Thistledown Racino will also host a watch party for the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31, with special drawings all day and a countdown to Ohio sports betting at midnight.
From 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., cash prizes will be awarded every 30 minutes. Swipe your ClubJACK card at a kiosk to activate entries, beginning at 1 p.m.
Then, from 9 p.m. to midnight, ClubJack members who have their card inserted into a VLT machine will be eligible for drawings happening every 10 minutes. JACK is calling this promotion the New Year’s Eve Hot Seat. If your bum’s in a seat, you have a chance to win hot cash.
Get prepared for the official launch with the BetJACK app
As mentioned, JACK’s sportsbook app will begin taking bets on Jan. 1 as well. With nationally known sportsbooks apps also launching in the state, the betJACK Sportsbook app hopes to be known as “Ohio’s sportsbook.” The app’s social media presence touts “Ohio sports above all” and provides plenty of Browns, Bengals and Cavs content. The app will not be limited only to Ohio sports, however.
The betJACK app is already available and functional as a free-to-play sportsbook, giving Ohioans a chance to learn how to use the app to place bets before they can wager real money.
