Sports kiosk betting in Ohio bars and other legal outlets cleared $1 million in activity for the first time in March, the Ohio Lottery reported Monday.
In the third month of the small-time convenience betting, the kiosks in 940 different locations accepted $1.38 million in wagers. Losing bets resulted in $171,630 in revenue for the five proprietors distributing the machines, with the lottery’s share of that amounting to $33,283.
The 940 bars, restaurants, and other licensed locations were 74 more than the month before, with hundreds more currently in the licensing and supply pipeline to gain one or two of the betting devices. While the betting handle was up 42.2% from February, presumably due to March Madness as well as the longer month and additional kiosks, the March revenue was far more than double the prior month’s $62,146.
Despite significant increase in the Type C sports gaming, as it’s formally known, its volume since the state’s Jan. 1 start of legal betting pales in comparison to what Ohioans are indulging in via Type A sports gaming (17 mobile operators) and Type B gaming (14 retail sportsbooks).
The Ohio Casino Control Commission won’t report March data until the end of April, but its February report showed statewide combined Type A and Type B handle of $638.8 million and revenue of $82.9 million, with 97% of the betting done digitally. Both numbers were off substantially from the first month of betting in January.
Individual proprietors see surges
Intralot’s Sports Bet Ohio brand holds a huge edge over four other kiosk proprietors in activity, with 753 partner locations that accepted $689,107 in handle — about half of the state total — reflecting Intralot’s longtime relationships with the lottery and lottery retail hosts. Revenue in March from Sports Bet Ohio machines was $73,043, more than double February’s level.
Also more than doubling February’s revenue, on a smaller scale, was Gold Rush Gaming, with $198,098 in handle and $32,374 in revenue from 68 kiosks.
UBetOhio continued to do quite well on a per-location basis, with $293,389 in handle and $28,977 in revenue from just 38 sites hosting its machines.
BetIGG, meanwhile, was able to turn things around from a net losing month in February by claiming $15,403 in revenue from $75,744 in bets last month at 50 locations.
It was the first month of operations for BetSkybox, whose 31 kiosk locations took $127,986 in wagers and kept $21,833 in revenue.
A total of seven kiosk proprietors are licensed in Ohio, but J&J Ventures Gaming and Elys Game Technology did not have devices active in the state as of last month.
The kiosks operate with smaller options for the size and type of wagers than is allowed under mobile and retail sportsbook betting in the state, and the kiosk proprietors arrange partnerships with the host locations covering how they share the portion of revenue that is not sent to the lottery.
Photo courtesy of UBetOhio
