Slowly but surely, the Ohio sports betting kiosk market continues to grow.
According to the Ohio Lottery, six more businesses were licensed to add the betting machines as of Jan. 20, bringing Ohio’s total to 774.
Sports betting in Ohio kicked off on Jan. 1. The Lottery and the Ohio Casino Control Commission will continue licensing businesses interested in adding the self-service betting machines.
Six businesses added to kiosk list, three removed
The Ohio Lottery pre-approves businesses that meet the criteria to add sports betting kiosks, and it has done so for over 1,500 Ohio businesses thus far.
Each business must still apply for a license through the Ohio Casino Control Commission and partner with a kiosk operator, which provides the machines and software.
As of Jan. 20, the official list of businesses licensed to add betting kiosks was up to 774. The kiosks will be located in a wide range of businesses, from bars, restaurants and grocery stores to bowling alleys and gas stations.
UPDATE: Ohio is now up to 798 kiosk hosts. The document below is the most recent list:
The total of 774 is six more than last week, when 768 businesses appeared on the list. Back in the final week of December, the official Jan. 1 total was 771.
PlayOhio has reached out to both the Lottery and the OCCC to ask which businesses were removed from the list and why. This article will updated with a response.
Business could theoretically be removed for not meeting final licensing requirements or simply changing their mind. The process of finding a kiosk operator partner and installing and testing equipment, while relatively straightforward, can be time-consuming.
Columbus, Cincinnati continue to lead the way in total kiosks
As of Jan. 20, the total number of approved sports betting kiosk hosts in Ohio’s biggest cities was:
- Akron: 39 kiosks
- Brunswick: 7 kiosks
- Canton and North Canton: 18 kiosks
- Cincinnati: 45 kiosks
- Cleveland: 24 kiosks
- Columbus: 48 kiosks
- Dayton: 17 kiosks
- Parma and Parma Heights: 22 kiosks
- Toledo: 24 kiosks
- Youngstown: 16 kiosks
Compared to the previous Lottery list, Cincinnati, Columbus and Canton/North Canton each added one kiosk host location. Cleveland and Toledo each saw their tally fall by one.
Ohio sports betting kiosk launch hit snags
The kiosk licensing and regulatory process was months in the making, but one of the major kiosk operators was unable to launch on Jan. 1.
Intralot, which was licensed to install and operate 700 of the first 771 kiosks to hit the Ohio market, dealt with glitches and additional testing early on. The company said the kiosks would be up and running by mid-January. Businesses that added Intralot kiosks can still take bets using a temporary system in the meantime.
Still, some local businesses are becoming frustrated by the delays, according to WKRC Local 12 in Cincinnati. The news station spoke to a local bar owner who said he still doesn’t know when his Intralot kiosk will be working.
“It’s frustrating because we did advertise for months leading up to this, saying we were going to have this,” Erik Richman, who owns Varsity Sports Bar and Grill in Anderson Township, told WCRC. “Not only that, they’re advertising it on their website saying we are one of the locations, and we still can’t do it. So, we have people coming in here and get disappointed about it.”
Only three kiosk operators were licensed to begin business on Jan. 1, but four more are set to phase their roll-outs in 2023.
The seven approved kiosk operators are:
- UBet Ohio
- BetIGG
- Intralot
- BetSkyBox
- Gold Rush Sports Betting
- Write Bet
- J&J Gaming
The sports betting kiosk market will be a small slice of Ohio’s sports betting options, but it is projected to bring in $80 million in bets in 2023.
The kiosks essentially fill the gap in the market for those who do not live near a retail sportsbook and choose not to utilize an online sportsbook. They are also a way for local businesses to benefit from the Ohio sports betting market.
