The Ohio Lottery continues to make progress as the Jan. 1 launch of sports betting inches closer. The lottery recently published new guidelines for kiosk vendors. Kiosk hosts have until Aug. 25 to submit their business plans.
Up to 20 of these Type C vendors will receive licenses to operate Ohio sports betting kiosks at locations across the Buckeye State.
More than 2,000 businesses are expected to partner with these companies to add kiosks. That includes places like bars, restaurants, hotels, golf courses, supermarkets, bowling alleys and more.
Type C applicants must submit business plans by Aug. 25 to be considered for the Jan. 1 launch. If selected, those applicants will also have to provide an updated business plan every year.
Businesses have until Aug. 15 to apply for a kiosk. That’s the deadline for companies to file their paperwork if they want to be ready in time for first day of wagering.
The Ohio Lottery is responsible for managing the vendors that will operate kiosks.
Business plan components
The business plans for Ohio’s kiosks will need to include details for customer interaction.
For example, the ability to check the age of gamblers and control wager limits fall into that category. Kiosk gamblers will have a weekly betting limit of $700, plus new payout rules to follow when cashing out those gamblers.
Other components include:
- Identifying the key people involved in a location’s kiosks
- Description of where kiosks will be located within businesses
- Duties performed by third parties such as marketing agencies
- Plans regarding maintenance, training and also customer service
Annual business plans must also address advertising and marketing, responsible gaming, customer recruitment and technical items. Vendors will also have to provide year-end reporting for each calendar year.
Separate rules for delivering and installing kiosks
Besides submitting business plans, vendors must give notice and receive approval before shipping kiosks to locations.
Vendors also have to submit the machine’s serial number, description, name of the carrier and name of location to the Ohio Lottery. The Lottery clearly differentiates between approval of a shipment and approval of installation, which has its own specifications.
For installation of kiosks, vendors must provide the host name and inventory of devices. They must also provide the planned installation date and information confirming the on-site installer.
Responsible betting a focus
As it should be, the Lottery is very serious about betting responsibly in Ohio.
Each proprietor must maintain a responsible gambling awareness program. That includes in-venue messaging everywhere it hosts kiosks, including digital media and also marketing material. Kiosks must also be in clear sight of host staff at all times.
The OCCC and Ohio Lottery offer plenty of resources to help gamblers in need. That includes identification quizzes, plus 24/7 support online and over the phone at 800-589-9966.
Sports betting still on track for Jan. 1
More than 1,000 businesses have already applied to open kiosks on the universal launch date of Jan. 1, 2023. The initial application window for online and traditional retail sportsbooks closed on July 15.
Here’s a quick look at some of the businesses that submitted a vendor application:
- Iron Gate Gaming
- J&J Ventures Gaming
- Gold Rush Amusements
- Elys Game Technology
- Green Bear Software
- Intralot
- Skybox Sports Network
Businesses that applied for sportsbook licenses include:
- Fanatics
- FanDuel
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Barstool Sports
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- DraftKings
- JACK Entertainment
- BetMGM
- PointsBet
- Elys Game Technology
The next OCCC meeting will be taking place on Aug. 17, just a week before the deadline for kiosk hosts to submit their business plans.