Ohio welcomes new era of consumer protection with launch of regulated sports betting

Ohio has successfully launched its regulated online sports betting market with education, war veterans, and problem gambling programs set to benefit from the taxes generated by the newly-legalized industry.

GeoComply, a leader in geolocation and anti-fraud solutions for the US iGaming industry, recorded 11.3m geolocation transactions in Ohio over the course of New Year’s weekend. The impressive start vaulted Ohio to the top of the list of states with the most geolocation volumes recorded by GeoComply over the New Year’s weekend, even surpassing New York.

GeoComply SVP of Compliance Lindsay Slader commented: “We are thrilled to welcome another state into the regulated online sports betting sector. As expected, residents of the Buckeye State enthusiastically greeted the market at the moment the calendar changed over to 2023.”

“Today, about 44 percent of the American population can bet online with legal and responsible operators. The launch of regulated online sports betting in Ohio will better protect its citizens, with an increased commitment to responsible gambling and new funding for critical state programs,” Slader added.

GeoComply is the trusted provider of geolocation verification and fraud-prevention solutions for approved Ohio online sports betting operators, and its data provides a unique view of the Ohio market since it launched on January 1st.

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Ohio betting action on January 1st and 2nd, based on GeoComply’s data:

• 17 operators
• 784k unique accounts
• 11.3m geolocation transactions
• 234k geolocation transactions during the first hour on New Year’s Day

Ohio’s New Year launch pushed it straight to the top of the US market over the holiday weekend.

According to GeoComply’s data, Cincinnati proved to be the busiest city, with 1,898,000 geolocation transactions. Columbus trailed despite having the largest population, with 1,033,000 transactions. Cleveland recorded 772,000 transactions, and Toledo recorded 619,000.

GeoComply has a unique view of the US online sports betting market as the trusted geolocation supplier for the majority of the regulated online sports betting operators in the US. GeoComply’s data does not purport to be definitive or represent the entire market in Ohio or any other jurisdictions but is intended to provide general insights into relevant market dynamics.