Ohio Sports Betting: Elys First to Apply for Kiosks License, Hall of Fame Village Wants In

Posted on: July 3, 2022, 08:19h. 

Last updated on: July 4, 2022, 01:44h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Three more entities applied for sports betting licenses in Ohio over the past week. That includes the first company seeking to install kiosks in bars and other by-the-drink liquor establishments across the state.

HOF Village
An aerial rendering of the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. The company behind the development project was one of three entities to submit an application last week for a sports betting license in the state. (Image: VisitCanton)

Elys Gameboard Technologies applied on Wednesday to serve as a Type C proprietor, meaning it wants to offer kiosks to bars that are licensed to sell Ohio lottery tickets.

Elys is a global company that has operated in Europe for more than 20 years, and has been growing in the States recently. Four months ago, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement approved it to run the sportsbook at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. It also manages sportsbooks for several tribal casinos, including the Santa Ana Star Casino and Isleta Resort and Casino in New Mexico, and the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Colorado.

The gaming company also operates in the District of Columbia in a manner similar to what it seeks to do in Ohio. Last October, Elys opened a pilot sportsbook project at the Grand Central Restaurant in the nation’s capital.

Under the Ohio sports betting law, kiosks can be installed in certain bars across the state. Up to 20 kiosk proprietors will be approved to offer sports betting in the state. Approved applicants will pay $100,000 for a five-year license and $25,000 to renew it.

Unlike traditional sportsbooks and online apps, the kiosks will be restricted in what they can offer. Bettors at kiosks will also face limits as well.

Launch Date: Jan. 1, 2023

Sports betting launches in Ohio now in less than six months. The Ohio Casino Control Commission has stated that entities interested in Type A online sports betting, or Type B retail sportsbook licenses need to apply by July 15. That’s in order to have their licenses approved in time for the Jan. 1, 2023 universal launch date.

Ohio gaming officials can approve up to 25 online sports betting operators and 40 retail sportsbooks. The retail books are limited mostly to the largest counties in the state.

Applications for the Type C proprietor licenses face a similar schedule. Starting on July 15, the OCCC will begin taking applications from bars that want to work with kiosk providers.

Is Sports Betting Bound for the Hall of Fame?

The company behind a development project tied to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton is the latest proprietor to apply to host a retail sportsbook and an online app.

HOF Village Newco submitted its paperwork to the OCCC on Friday. That company operates the Hall of Fame Village, which describes itself as “a multi-use sports, entertainment, and media destination” in the northeastern Ohio city.

The application did not list either a management services provider (MSP) or a mobile management services provider (MMSP). However, the Hall of Fame Village announced a partnership last December with Rush Street Interactive to operate the sportsbook.

If approved for both licenses, HOF Village would pay $1.6 million for both licenses, which also run for five years. The company would pay the same amount to renew the licenses as well.

Unlike the state’s four casinos, seven racinos, eight major professional sports franchises, Muirfield Village Golf Course, and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, HOF Village does not have a license tentatively earmarked for it. One of the factors the OCCC will consider when reviewing all applicants, not just the HOF Village, is its impact on economic development in Ohio.

The village includes a football stadium that hosts several games each year, including this year’s USFL Championship and the annual NFL Hall of Fame Game, and a sports complex. It also hosts numerous concerts and other events. Next month, more than 80,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space will open there.

The week before, two JACK Entertainment properties became the first in Ohio to file their proprietor applications.

Barstool Applies in Ohio

The day before the Hall of Fame Village submitted its application, Penn Sports Interactive filed its MMSP application. The company operates the Barstool Sportsbook. It did not list a Type A proprietor partner on its application. However, Penn National Gaming has two racinos and two casinos in the state. It’s likely one would serve in that capacity.

If regulators approve Barstool, and it partners with a Penn Hollywood casino or racino in the state, it would pay $1.5 million for a five-year license. If it were to partner with one of the state’s 10 professional sports operators, it would pay a $2 million fee for the license.

Other MMSPs that have applied are BetMGM, PointsBet, and DraftKings.