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CENTERVILLE — Statewide, Ohioans have wagered hundreds of millions of dollars in the first month of legal sports betting.
With March Madness coming up, those numbers are looking to keep rising.
Bargos Grill and Tap in Centerville is gearing up for a busy month.
“Particularly in the first week of the tournament we are wall to wall, it’s really a good time for us so this year with the gambling, hopefully, it’s better,” Chris Collins, general manager of Bargos Grill and Tap said.
Bargos has two kiosks where people can place bets. Collins said he has noticed some changes.
“From what we’ve seen directly it’s not something that the revenue is direct income to us. Ours is more passive income through people just coming in for games they may not have attended for the past or stayed long for,” Collins said.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission said Ohioans wagered more than a billion dollars on sports in January, resulting in more than $200 million in revenue for sportsbooks.
Playohio ranked Ohio second in the country behind New York for the most money wagered in January.
“To see Ohio as number two in the month of January, was surprising to me. I wouldn’t have expected that,” Andrew Wonders, assistant professor of sports business management at Cedarville University said.
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Wonders said the numbers got help from the NFL playoffs and the rollout of sports betting.
With March Madness, he expects a very busy March and April.
Time will tell what will happen to those numbers and how they impact businesses like Bargos.
“It’s new to us as well, we’re just kind of getting used to it,” Collins said.
An increase in sports betting has some concerned about gambling addiction.
This is something states have to keep an eye on, Wonders said.
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