Ohio’s Betting Kiosk Market Grows By 24 Businesses In A Week

With Ohio’s sports betting kiosks continuing to gain momentum, it won’t be long now before the number of locations tops 800. Already this past week, the Ohio Lottery reported an additional 24 businesses that added betting kiosks to their inventory — pushing the current total to 798. Interestingly enough, Ohio is not only one of the most popular U.S.-based destinations for online sports betting apps, but a growing number of establishments have also taken advantage of Ohio’s block-and-mortar opportunities. As these kiosk locations continue to proliferate throughout the state, there appears to be no end in sight as far as growth is concerned. With luck and continued solid performance in the years ahead, it’s very likely that Ohio can set an even higher bar for other states looking to enter into block-and-mortar sports betting.

Betting kiosks have become a unique part of Ohio’s sports betting market, offering Ohio Lottery retailers the opportunity to join the industry with one or two self-service betting kiosks per suitable location.

This innovative approach has been widely embraced and currently, 1,588 businesses across a broad range of activities have pre-qualified for the program – from bars and restaurants to grocery stores to bowling alleys. The demand for this technology is clear as over 1,000 establishments have now applied for licenses through the Ohio Casino Control Commission, with new lists of licensed businesses released by the Lottery every Friday.

Ohio had ambitious plans to launch its sports betting kiosks on January 1st, but in reality, most businesses were still waiting for their machines at the start of the new year. Intralot, the company supplying most of the kiosks, initiated a software update this week that meant their 620 locations would begin accepting bets shortly. For other locations, it may take up to two weeks before they can also start taking wagers. This is far slower than anyone expected and has caused some frustration among Ohio’s sporting public – but it appears that the rollout of sports betting kiosks is finally starting to gain momentum.

With the launch of sports betting in Ohio just around the corner, both DraftKings and FanDuel have launched pre-registration campaigns to give residents of the state a head start. Being two of the biggest operators in the US, this is an opportunity for them to get an early advantage in the recently legalized market.

Ohio regulators will allow up to 25 online operators or more and many have already obtained their licenses. Through these campaigns, eligible customers can get free bets and rewards as soon as betting goes live in the state. This offers sports fans from Ohio an opportunity to place a bet without risking their own money. It may also encourage people to check out different platforms so they can decide which one is right for them before investing real money into it.