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Ohio sportsbooks are closely watched by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), and Governor Mike DeWine, who has a vested interest in ensuring their promotional messages don’t cross the line.
Crossing the Line Will Not Be Tolerated
DeWine, who signed legislation legalizing sports betting in the state in December 2021, warned operators that their actions would come under scrutiny in his first remarks after Ohio officially launched its sports betting market on January 1, 2023. “Companies that do massive advertising need to be aware that they are being watched very closely by the governor and the Casino Control Commission as far as their statements are concerned,” he said. He also told reporters that he shared his concerns about the “mass solicitation” carried out by the operators with the Executive Director of the OCCC and several members of the Oversight Board and indicated that there had already been several cases of the operators “crossing over.” “had the line.” line,” and sent a clear message to the industry that “this will not be tolerated in the state of Ohio.” DeWine did not clarify when these violations occurred, instead citing as an example the regulator’s case against one of the carriers that delivered illegal ads to underage customers as part of its pre-launch customer retention efforts. Last Friday, the OCCC announced it could fine DraftKings $350,000 for violating state sports betting advertising rules during an email campaign in November in which the Boston-based operator advertised promotional materials for approximately 2,500 recipients under 21, the population segment who cannot gamble.
Another operator, Penn Entertainment’s Barstool Sports, could also face a fine for violating a rule prohibiting sports betting advertising on or near college campuses after the OCCC removed the college football show from the operator on the University of Toledo campus in November. They were getting people to pre-register with Barstool Sportsbook breaking the rule.
Free Money and Free Gaming
The governor also addressed the issue of some offerings used by operators, such as B. extending free bet balances, and said that was a limit they could not cross, warning them to be very careful when using phrases like “free money” and “play for free” during their TV ads when the “fine print” suggests otherwise Before the official launch, Ohio launched a two-week “Pause Before You Play” responsible gambling campaign as part of the “Get Set Before You Bet Problem Gambling” educational program run by Ohio for Responsible gaming is implemented Attention to the challenges posed by sports betting The official launch of the sports betting market in Ohio was registered on the 11.3 million geolocation transactions in first two days of operation to surpass launch in New York, according to data from geolocation service provider GeoComply.
