Kambi Makes Plans To Enter Ohio Sports Betting Market

• Sports betting is not yet legal in Ohio, but lawmakers have begun the discussion.
• With a year-long session, Ohio can legalize sports betting at any time this year or next.
• Kambi said that JACK Entertainment had been a target of theirs to enter the Ohio market.

CLEVELAND – Kambi has entered a multi-year partnership with JACK Entertainment based in Ohio.

Through this new partnership, Kambi will be the sportsbook provider for two JACK Casinos in the state. This means that JACK Cleveland Casino and JACK Thistledown Racino will both have Kambi sportsbooks.

“JACK Entertainment is clearly a major player in the Ohio market and has been a primary target for us in the US,” said Kristian Nylén, CEO of Kambi.

The legal sports betting market should be strong in Ohio as well. The Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland Cavilers are based in Ohio, which is good for Kambi because locals tend to bet on their home team. On top of that, Ohio is the seventh most populous state in the country, making Ohio a very attractive sports betting market for Kambi.

The only problem at the moment is that sports betting is not legal in Ohio just yet. There are currently two different bills being debated that would make Ohio sports betting legal.

OH HB 194 is one of the bills. Through this bill, the Ohio Lottery Commission would regulate sports betting in the state and would allow any gambling facility in the state to open up their own sportsbooks. This includes locations such as fraternal organizations and veterans’ halls. The proposed tax on revenue would be at 10 percent. This bill has received some hearings, but it has not moved forward since late May.

OH SB 111 is the second sports betting bill under consideration. This bill would put the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) in charge of sports betting, allowing only 11 sportsbooks to open in Ohio. Although there are fewer locations, the tax rate would be at 6.25 percent. At this point though, OH SB 111 has not received a single hearing.

The legislative session in Ohio meets throughout the entire year which leaves plenty of time for sports betting in Ohio to become legalized. Kambi must feel confident about Ohio sports betting if they are entering a multi-year deal with JACK Entertainment before it is formally legalized.

News tags: Cleveland | Cleveland Browns | Cleveland Cavaliers | JACK Cleveland Casino | JACK Entertainment | JACK Thistledown Racino | Kambi | Kristian Nylen | OH HB 194 | OH SB 111 | Ohio | Ohio Casino Control Commission | Ohio Lottery Commission