The USFL begins play on April 15. As of now, bettors in Ohio could place a wager on any of the league’s games.
The XFL already began play, but nary a bet was placed within the borders of Ohio.
Anybody complaining over the unfairness of the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s (OCCC) call on the two leagues? None yet. OHBets tried to get a response as to why the dichotomy, but no dice.
Both leagues service football-frenzied fans to fill in the emptiness of a spring and summer without the NFL. How much can the draft really serve to whet appetites?
And it isn’t like there is a shortage of places to bet on, beyond the NBA and NHL. Europa League soccer, for example. International cricket, where you can pick up the similarities or not similarities to baseball.
The XFL, composed of eight teams and a 10 week regular schedule—is available to bet on by crossing the border to Pennsylvania.
“A request to add the XFL was submitted to the Commission and was temporarily denied after a review by staff and the executive director,” OCCC spokeswoman Jessica Franks told OHBets this week by email. In explaining the term “temporarily,” she noted that requests can be resubmitted at a later date.
The XFL played in 2001 and again in 2020 but folded each time. To be fair, 2020 may not have been their fault.
The USFL has games in Canton as does the Pittsburgh team and New Jersey team. It’s a long story.
While the OCCC did not provide OHBets with a specific reason for rejecting the XFL, Franks pointed to its guidelines for reviewing requests by operators to allow bets.
The commission’s review of events that can be bet on includes (but is not limited to) the following criteria:
- The quality of the governing body’s documented integrity program;
- The general availability of information related to the governing body;
- The professional or skill level status of athletes; and
- The history of integrity related to events sanctioned by the governing body.
