Sports betting technology provider Kambi Group has signed a multi-year agreement with Ohio casino and racetrack operator JACK Entertainment to supply its wagering products to the casino company, should sports betting become legal in the state.
Under the terms of the deal, JACK Entertainment will launch Kambi-powered sportsbooks at its JACK Cleveland Casino in downtown Cleveland and JACK Thistledown Racino, a thoroughbred racing and gaming property in North Randall, Ohio.
The two properties will also be able to operate mobile sports betting apps, if the state Legislature adopts a legislation enabling the practice.
The recently inked contract between Kambi and JACK Entertainment also contains provisions that allow the two parties to extend their partnership across other US jurisdictions whenever “commercially attractive opportunities arrive.”
Ohio is the seventh most populous US state. In addition, it is home to a number of professional sports teams, including NFL’s Cleveland Browns and NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. Unlike neighboring West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, Ohio is yet to adopt a legislation and accompanying regulations authorizing the provision of sports betting services on the territory of the state.
Up until recently, JACK Entertainment operated one more casino in Ohio – JACK Cincinnati Casino. However, the company entered into agreement with Florida gaming and hospitality giant Hard Rock International and real estate investment trust VICI Properties to sell the property for $745 million.
Delivering the Very Best Betting Product
Of their partnership with JACK Entertainment, Kambi CEO Kristian Nylén said that “JACK Entertainment is clearly a major player in the Ohio market, and has been a primary target for us in the US” as the company is building its strategy to deliver sports betting experience with major local operators.
JACK Entertainment VP of Sports and Digital Gaming Adam Suliman added that they “feel strongly that Kambi’s best in class platform, combined with JACK Entertainment’s properties and brand, will allow us to deliver the very best sports betting products and experiences.”
As part of the deal, JACK Entertainment will gain access to its sports betting partner’s technology and open APIs to build and deliver its front-end wagering proposition.
Ohio’s Sports Betting Legalization Progress
While some of Ohio’s neighboring states have already legalized and gone live with sports betting, the state’s lawmakers have made almost no progress toward the legalization and regulation of the practice.
Ohio just entered a two-year legislative session, which means that legislators have plenty of time to adopt an athletic gambling legislation. There are currently two sports betting bills in the Legislature and a number of questions the state’s top officials need to find the answers to before moving forward with the legalization of sports betting.
Lawmakers need to decide whether the practice should be regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission or the Casino Control Commission as well as whether the legalization of mobile betting is running afoul of Ohio’s current constitution.
Another issue currently under discussion is concerned with whether the state should allow betting on collegiate sporting events. The state’s Inter-University Council, a coalition of 14 universities and colleges located around the state, recently urged lawmakers to exclude wagering on college sports from any betting legislation. However, many believe that the state would lose precious revenues, if it bans betting on college sports.
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