Ohio’s Casino Control Commission (OCCC) has approved over 300 licenses, including to the Cleveland Browns, Columbus Crew and Cincinnati Reds, for use during their home games.
Of the 10 companies currently seeking licenses to offer gambling either through a website or app (type A) or in person (type B), licenses were approved for these eight:
- JACK Cleveland Casino (A/B)
- JACK Thistledown Racino (A/B)
- Cleveland Browns Football Company (A/B)
- Crew SC Stadium Company (A/B)
- Muirfield Village Golf Club Subsidiary (A/B)
- Cincinnati Reds (A/B)
- Hollywood Casino Toledo (A/B)
- Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley (A/B)
Cincinnati Bengals (A) and FC Cincinnati Holdings (A/B) had no reps and therefore did not receive a license.
The commission awarded 300 Type C licenses to bars, restaurants and other suppliers, allowing them to operate gambling kiosks. In central Ohio, those locations included Grandad’s Pizza and Pub, Novak’s Tavern Patio and Yogi’s Bar and Grill.
Commission Executive Director Matt Schuler criticized a third of the applicants who did not submit required materials about the employees and leadership personnel that will be operating the company’s sports betting.
Those applicants have until October 5 to turn in the material or be disqualified.
“We do not have the time or the resources to carry them across the finish line,” he said. “They have to be capable of doing the very minimum requirements set forward by the General Assembly.”
The commission also approved its fourth batch of rules surrounding the operations of Ohio’s legalized sports gambling, including requiring approved license-holders to submit a plan to address and prevent disordered and problem gambling.
“Please submit them with some time in advance, a few weeks, so that our staff here can thoroughly review and vet them and make sure that gaming that’s offered in the state of Ohio, it’s safe, it’s conducted with integrity and is not going to take advantage of any Ohio citizens,” a commission representative said.
