First NFL season with legal sports gambling kicks off in Ohio

As the NFL season starts, the latest monthly report from July from the Ohio Casino Control Commission shows Ohioans have now placed more than $4 billion worth of bets.

Inside Fricker’s in Troy, they have the Browns and Bengals schedules posted. Thursday night is the start of the first full NFL season where sports betting is legal in Ohio.

There’s positivity all around for NFL fans as a new season kicks off.

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“I mean, if Burrow’s healthy, we should have a heck of a season, I’m sure,” said Mike Sora, who lives in Middletown.

It’s good for business at Fricker’s.

“The beauty of our places are you can watch multiple games. If there are six games being played, we’ll have them all,” said Jim Manley, Fricker’s USA Marketing Manager.

Sora says he doesn’t gamble, but all three of his grown sons do.

“They’re not big bettors, but I think they bet frequently, you know, small bets and different things,” Sora said.

Plenty of other Ohioans are doing the same. Sports betting has become a multi-billion dollar industry through seven months.

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“You need a license to make sure you’re of age and legit,” Manley said.

Fricker’s has the state’s new sports betting kiosks.

It’s one of several ways Ohioans can now place bets along with online apps, and physical sportsbooks.

When the 2022 NFL season started sports betting was still a few months away from becoming legal.

“Everyone that comes in when they win, they love it. When they don’t win, they don’t talk as much about it,” Manley said.

Problem Gambling Network of Ohio Executive Director Derek Longmeier says they’ve seen 21,000 more calls to Ohio’s problem gambling helpline compared to this same time last year.

“Those concerns really come in to individuals that aren’t setting limits, whether that be limits of time or dollars spent. So stick to those limits, and that’s a low-risk way to participate,” Longmeier said.

Inside Fricker’s, it’s a safe bet to say Sora has plenty of hope for the Bengals.

“It could be the year. I mean that we actually get back to the Super Bowl,” Sora said.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission will release its September revenue report for sports betting next month.

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