Timeline for Ohio Sports Betting Licenses

Ohio’s sports betting industry went live on January 1, 2023. The initial license application window was open between June 15-July 15, 2022. However,  the Commission is still accepting applications for and issuing Ohio sports gaming licenses.

As described above, there is a limited number of each type of Ohio sports betting business license available, and those limits have not been reached. Thus, we encourage you to get your application in as soon as possible to grab one of the few licenses left. Limited license markets create scarcity, and scarcity generates value. These assets are worth millions.

In the next section, our sports betting business consultants in Ohio summarize the license application process.

Application Process for an Ohio Sports Gaming License

To apply for an Ohio sports gaming license, you must:

• submit a written application on a form published by the Commission;
• pay the nonrefundable application fee;
• submit a CPA audit of the applicant’s  financial transactions and the condition of the applicant’s total operations for the previous fiscal year; and
• submit fingerprints and undergo a criminal background check of every individual with ownership or control over the Applicant.

The next section lists the required document you must write and submit as part of your Ohio sports betting license application.

Required Documents for an Ohio Sports Betting License Application

Our Ohio sports betting consultants summarize the types of documents you must submit as part of your license application. The requirements vary slightly between each type of Ohio sports gaming proprietor license.

Type A and B Sports Gaming Proprietor Required Documents

Beyond the general business and personnel information, as part of the Ohio Type A an B sports gaming proprietor license application you must submit:

• The business address of the in-person sports gaming facility the applicant will operate (or office in the case of Type A);
• History of and plans for economic development in Ohio and the local community, including:
  • current or intended physical presence and investment into physical infrastructure in Ohio;
  • length of time the applicant has done business in Ohio;
  • historical revenue collected in Ohio;
  • estimated 3-year revenue projections from sports wagering;
  • historical taxable income;
  • number of employees applicant plans to hire in Ohio; and
  • current or intended economic development in Ohio, including promotion of tourism, charitable causes, etc.;
• Description of the applicant’s sports gaming business history and future plans, including:
  • developments of the applicant’s business in the past five (5) years;
  • products produced and services rendered by the Applicant and the markets thereof;
  • list of all distributors, suppliers, and/or vendors that applicant contracts with;
  • list of sports-gaming related equipment, devices, goods, or services being provided or intended to provide;
  • top three value contracts or agreements that applicant has entered into in the last 12 months;
  • list of all addresses the applicant conducts business.
• Organizational charts for the applicant showing all positions, including ownership, boards, officers, etc.;
• Audited financial statements and independent auditors report for the applicant’s two most recent fiscal years;
• Insurance certificates;
• Surety bond;
• The Applicant’s most recent IRS tax return filings; and
• Regulatory Compliance Documents, including:
  • Required Procedures;
  • Disordered and Problem Gambling Plan;
  • House Rules;
  • Sports gaming equipment and system testing approvals;
  • Approved IT security insurance;
  • Approved sports gaming equipment and systems ready for Commission verification;
  • Sports gaming systems remote Commission access;
  • location-based technology provider, parameters used for geolocation, and evidence of completed testing (type A sports gaming proprietors only);
  • Finalized Sports Gaming Facility Design Plan (type B sports gaming proprietors only); and
  • Sports gaming facility surveillance remote Commission access (type B sports gaming proprietors only).

Type C Sports Gaming Proprietor Required Documents

The application requirements for an Ohio type C sports gaming proprietor license are similar to that of type A and B. However, there are some small differences, such as applicants for a type C license do not have to submit the Regulatory Compliance Documents listed above.

Seems like a lot? That’s because you’re applying for a multi-million dollar asset in a highly regulated industry. There is a ton of room for error, and the last thing you want to do is spend months preparing an application that gets denied.

Thus, work with our Ohio sports betting license application writers to prepare an application that will win you a license. We’ll manage your entire application from start to finish, including all of the technical writing shown above. You focus on running your business, and let us focus on winning you an Ohio sports gaming proprietor license.

Now lets go over the fees that Ohio sports betting license applicants must pay.

Fees

If plan on applying for an Ohio sports gaming proprietor license, you must pay three types of fess:

• Criminal Background Check Fees;
• Non-refundable application fee; and
• Non-refundable license fee.

You only have to pay the license fee if you are approved for an Ohio sports gaming license.

Application Fees

Below are the application fees for each type of Ohio sports betting license:

• type A sports gaming proprietor license: $150,000
• type B sports gaming proprietor license: $20,000
• type C sports gaming proprietor license: $15,000

License Fees

The initial license fees for an Ohio type A sports gaming proprietor is as follows:

• professional sports organization:
  • contracting with no more than one mobile management service provider: $500,000
  • contracting with two mobile management service providers: $1,666,667
• any other other applicant:
  • contracting with no more than one mobile management service provider: $750,000
  • contracting with two mobile management service providers: $2,500,000

On the other hand, the license fees for a type B sports gaming license in Ohio is:

• $100,000 for a type B sports gaming proprietor that is also a type A sports gaming proprietor; or
• $50,000 for a type B sports gaming proprietor that is not also a type A sports gaming proprietor.

For all Ohio type c sports gaming proprietor licenses, you must pay a $100,000 initial license fee.

Licensing Preferences and Suitability Factors for Ohio Sports Gaming Operators

The Commission will give preference to certain types of applicants and will consider specific factors when deciding who deserves a license. Thus, you should consider the following information when putting together an Ohio sports gaming license application if you want to improve your chances of receiving a license.

Preferences for Ohio sports betting licenses

Specifically, the Commission will give equal preference to:

• professional sports organizations,
• casino operators, and
• video lottery sales agents.

Keep in mind that it is only a “preference” and not a requirement to be one of the above types of applicants. Thus, to be clear, you do not need to be a professional sports organizations, casino operators, or a video lottery sales agents to obtain a Ohio sports gaming proprietor license. But it would help your case if you were. Your next best bet is to partner with one of these organizations.

Factors the Commission Considers for Awarding Licenses

Below are the factors the Commission will consider when awarding an Ohio sports gaming proprietor license:

• Reputation, experience, and financial integrity of the applicant and any person that controls the applicant;
• The financial ability of the applicant to purchase and maintain adequate liability and casualty insurance and to provide an adequate surety bond;
• The past and present compliance of the applicant and its affiliates with
  gambling-related licensing requirements in this state or any other jurisdiction;
• Whether the applicant has been charged with, indicted for, or convicted of any felony or misdemeanor criminal offense;
• History of bankruptcy;
• Tax delinquency for one or more years;
• Whether the applicant is or has been a defendant in litigation involving its business practices;
• Whether awarding a license would undermine the public’s confidence in the sports gaming industry in this state;
• The nature of the applicant’s current or intended physical presence in this state, including any expenditures for physical infrastructure;
• The length of time, if any, for which the applicant has been doing any kind of business in this state;
• The total amount of taxable income the applicant pays, or will pay, to its employees in this state;
• The applicant’s current or intended local and statewide economic involvement in this state; and
• The applicant’s other current or intended contributions to this state, including promoting tourism.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the Ohio sports gaming proprietor license application process, lets go over a step-by-step guide on how you can win a license.

Our Ohio sports betting license consultants suggest you read the Ohio laws and rules pertaining to sports gaming, including:

• Ohio Revised Code (R.C) Chapter 3775
• Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3775

The Revised Code is the laws of Ohio, while the Administrative Code is the rules adopted by state agencies. You will want to read and comply with both laws and rules.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (“Commission”) will regulate and issue licenses for sports betting in Ohio. Our Ohio sports betting consultants recommend checking their website frequently for updates. We will also update this page with all relevant news for applicants, so check back here as well.

Our Ohio sports betting license consultants provide you with a link to business entity applications and forms:

• Type-A & -B Sports Gaming Proprietor Application
• Mobile Management Services Provider and Management Services Provider Application
• Type-C Sports Gaming Proprietor Application
• Supplier Application
• Holding Company Form

Below is a summary of Ohio’s monthly sports gaming revenue, as reported by the Commission. Between January – June 2023, over $5.4b of taxable sports gaming revenue has been generated in Ohio, as depicted in the table below.

Ohio Sports Betting Revenue

Sports Betting License Holders in Ohio

Here is a list of current sports betting license holders in Ohio.

Type-A Sports Gaming Proprietor

Type-B Sports Gaming Proprietor

Type-C Sports Gaming Proprietor

*These tables were last updated by our Ohio sports betting consultants on August 18, 2023.

Independent Sports Gaming Testing Labs

There are two certified Independent Sports Gaming Testing Labs in Ohio:

• BMM North America
• Gaming Laboratories International

Your sports betting platform must undergo and pass testing by one of these two entities for you to be issued an Ohio sports gaming license.