DAYTON — Sports betting is now legal in Ohio.
Sports betting became legal across the state on Jan. 1. Ohioans are now able to place bets on their favorite teams at places like Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway or even on their phones.
News Center 7 spoke with a local resident prior to sports betting becoming legal to hear how they prepared.
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“I’ve been waiting on this for a long time,” Darrell Haynes said.
Haynes said he’s prepared and already has an app downloaded to his phone.
“I already got ‘Bet MGM’ ready for me,” he said. “As soon as the app goes live, I’m betting.”
Other residents, like Greg Kinnison, said they’ll might give sports betting a try.
“I may bet on the Super Bowl,” Kinnison said.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) estimated that once sports betting in Ohio takes off, they’ll be more than $9 billion wagered, resulting in about $63 million in state and local taxes.
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Casey Clark, AGA’s Senior Vice President, said he believes sports betting couldn’t come at a better time.
“First you’ve got the College Football Playoffs, then NFL playoffs, Super Bowl, the national championship for college football, the Daytona 500, March Madness, you name it — everything is coming up in the first 4 months of the year for Ohioans that want to bet on sports,” he said.
Clark said it’s also important to play responsibly.
“Anyone planning to bet on sports in Ohio should have a game plan and bet responsibly,” Clark said.