CLEVELAND — On Wednesday, the Ohio Casino Control Commission approved eight entities for Type A and B sports gaming licenses, including two in Northeast Ohio in Northeast Ohio.
The Cleveland Browns, JACK Cleveland Casino and JACK Thistledown Racino were each approved for licenses, which will go into effect when sports gaming officially launches in Ohio at midnight on Jan. 1, 2023. Altogether, the following eight entities were approved for both A and B licenses:
- 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)
A Type A license allows a company to offer sports gaming through either a website or an app, while a Type B license allows a company to offer sports gaming in person.
In addition to the sports teams and casinos, the Ohio Casino Commission approved 300 Type C licenses for bars, restaurants and other suppliers, which will allow them to operate sports gaming kiosks. It is unclear at this time which applicants were approved.
In August, the Ohio Casino Commission approved its first 200 Type C licenses since it began taking applications earlier this summer. A full list of those businesses approved can be found here.
Once sports betting officially goes into effect in Ohio, it will bring an end to a years-long process to legalize sports gambling in the state following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down a federal ban on sports gaming in 2018. Even prior to the passing of House Bill 29 last December, bordering states Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia had each already launched sports gaming programs.