CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – It's been a little more than a year since sports betting became legal in Ohio, but how are gaming companies following the state's regulations?
Over the last year, nearly all sports betting has moved online.
In 2023, more than $7.6 billion was bet on sports statewide.
So did that first year bring a learning curve in terms of regulations?
19 Investigators asked the Ohio Casino Control Commission to investigate.
Regulators have fined a gaming company operating a sportsbook in Ohio more than $1.3 million in 2023, it has been learned.
“As you know, most of the fines have to do with advertising and promotion, and the laws in Ohio and the rules in these areas are a little different than in other jurisdictions. And a lot of these companies are clearly in the U.S. “Because we operate in multiple jurisdictions in Ohio, we were not used to having to meet very specific requirements in Ohio,” said Director Jessica Franks. . Communications to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
You may remember last year that Caesars, DraftKings, and BetMGM faced violations in their first months of sports betting.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission states that their advertisements contain “responsible messages necessary for gambling and/or when patrons are required to incur losses or risk their own funds in order to obtain a promotion. It found that the company did not claim any “free'' or “risk-free'' promotions or bonuses.
Caesars and BetMGM each paid $150,000 in fines, and DraftKings paid $500,000 to settle two separate lawsuits involving mailing advertisements to people under 21.
Last year, the commission was also found to have taken administrative sanctions against three other game companies:
-PENN Sports Interactive was fined $250,000 for targeting advertising on or in the area of a college or university campus in Ohio, and for advertising targeting people under 21 years of age, in violation of state law. I did.
-PlayUp Interactive was fined $90,000 for providing online gaming products to people in Ohio in violation of state law.
– Hollywood Casino Columbus Inc. faced a $200,000 fine for a pattern of failing to comply with casino security staffing, the commission said.
The sanctions were related to casino games.
“So we see that compliance has really improved, and that's our goal here at the commission. Our goal is always compliance,” Franks said.
All of these lawsuits were settled with the Ohio Casino Control Commission, and both companies faced other remedial actions.
We will continue to monitor how this year unfolds regarding sports betting in Ohio.
If you think you may have a gambling problem, or know someone who does, please contact our toll-free gambling problem helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or Pause Before You Play. Please contact us through org.
Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.
