SPIRE Institute, a college prep school that focuses on sports performance and training, recently submitted applications to the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) for Type A and Type B sports betting licenses, alongside nationally recognized sports gambling operators and Ohio-based professional sports franchises. The school wants to be ready to debut a platform when wagering officially launches on January 1, 2023.
Type A licenses authorize sports betting through one or two online sportsbooks and require a non-refundable application fee of $150,000. Type B licenses authorize betting at an approved retail facility and require a nonrefundable application fee of $20,000.
Located 50 miles east of Cleveland in Geneva, Ohio, SPIRE applied for the licenses under the name Geneva Sports LLC on July 15, the final day of the first application window for various sports betting licenses.
Problem Gambling Network of Ohio Executive Director Derek Longmeier said a high school’s involvement in the sports betting business conveys the wrong message to student athletes.
He fears it could lead to teenagers trying to place wagers on sports or gambling addiction problems. He added the OCCC ought to review the application and eligibility process. “It really makes you think about what other things that might come up with the way the law is loosely drafted. If I were other sportsbooks, I would wonder how is that good to run a sportsbook in Ohio if a high school could also run a sportsbook. I think that’s very much outside of what the General Assembly had anticipated,” Longmeier stated.
On its website, SPIRE states it’s one of “the most unique and comprehensive Athletic, Academic, Personal and Career Development organizations in the world.” It features a 750,000-square-foot indoor, multi-sport, training and education facility, catering to 9th through 12th graders who want to improve their athletic skills. Tuition reportedly costs $50,000 annually.
OCCC Executive Director Matt Schuler said the commission expects to notify applicants it they’ll receive a license well in advance of the January 1 deadline. He noted submitting an application does not assure approval. “What the General Assembly put in that log is what we’re going to look at, fairly and impartially, for every applicant. Every applicant is different, but they’re all required to provide the commission with the same information,” Schuler said.
