When legal sports betting goes live in Ohio'on Jan. 1, 2023, it will coincide with among the busiest 48 hours of sports of the year – a full slate of NFL games followed the next day by four college football bowl games the Cincinnati Bengals vs. the Buffalo Bills on . So it’s no wonder that operators in the state want to launch as far ahead of that first kickoff as possible.
To that end, some sportsbooks are planning 12:01 a.m. launch events at retail locations and on digital platforms.
BetFred on Wednesday became the lastest sportsbook to announce that it will go live on Jan. 1, joining Hard Rock and JACK Entertainment, both of which have publicly announced plans for New Year’s Eve parties at their brick-and-mortar properties as well as digital launches at 12:01 a.m. BetFred is partnered with the Bengals for digital wagering, but won’t have a retail location.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission so far has approved 22 digital operators and 21 brick-and-mortar sportsbooks go to live on New Year’s Day, though not all will do so. Fanatics and Underdog Sportsbook'- neither of which is live anywhere in the U.S. – have indicated they won’t launch on New Year’s Day, and since getting approval, both Fubo Sportsbook and MaximBet have shuttered operations, opening up the opportunity for two skins to become available again.