Sports betting continues to witness rapid growth across the United States, especially in the online space. The culture has spread across the country since the Supreme Court ruled against the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. Betting on sporting events will take a new shape in the year 2023 across the country as many states continue to move to legalize the practice. More activities are therefore anticipated in 2023 as the sports betting industry continues to boom far and wide the nation.
Ohio says Hello to Sports Betting…
The state of Ohio will be the first to welcome sports betting in 2023. All is set for sports betting activities to go live in the state on the first day of the year both in the online and retail space. Wagering on sporting events became a legal activity in the state in December 2021 when the sports betting bill was passed in both chambers of the Ohio legislature.
Governor Mike DeWine eventually signed the bill to law in the same month. There's been a lot of anticipation in the state since the betting regulatory Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) announced the January 1, 2023 launch date.
More intriguing is the fact that up to 25 sportsbooks are expected to launch operations in the state from the outset. This includes the regular players in the industry like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, Barstool, etc who have all received conditional approval to start operations in the state when the calendar flips. The Buckeye state will join the growing number of states where sports betting can take place and also, a couple others who kick-started both the online and retail betting at the same time.
...and Massachusetts to Follow Suit…
Coming after Ohio will almost certainly be the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The state was the third in America to legalize sports betting in 2022. The sports betting bill was met with a great level of resistance in both chambers of the state's legislature. However, the Massachusetts Legislature passed the bill in the closing hours of the 2022 session on August 1. The Bay State law stipulates a 10-day deadline for the state Governor to assent a bill to law. Governorship Charlie Baker would eventually sign the bill into law on August 10, a day before the deadline elapsed.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), the body responsible for regulating gambling activities in the state, has been working to launch the retail sportsbooks before the online. If events go as planned, retail sportsbooks are expected to launch operations in the state on January 31, starting with three casinos. The online sportsbooks, on the other hand, are expected to go live by March, with the likes of BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel, etc preparing to launch operations. Sports betting going live in the Bay State will further reshape the widening landscape of the practice in the country.
...While Maine Could Join the Bandwagon.
Sports betting is already legal in the state of Maine. The bill that legalized sports betting in the state was passed by the Maine lawmakers and signed by Governor Janet Mills in May 2022. The state law stipulates a successful bill in the legislature can only become an effective law three months after it's been signed by the state Governor. Therefore, sporting betting became legally allowed in the Pine Tree State in August 2022.
However, residents in the state have not been able to wager bets since the legalization. The Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU) has signified that gambling will go live in the state in 2023 or latest, early 2024. The Chairman of the regulatory body, Milton Champion, has refused to put a launch date deadline on sports betting in the state. Maine might take the next step in 2023 and launch sports betting in the state, becoming the other New England state to do so in the year.
California is on Course
The year 2022 has seen an encouraging turn of events on political stance on sports betting in the state of California. Sports betting could become legal in the state sooner than expected. California had the opportunity to legalize sports betting via the ballot in November 2022, but voted against it.
However, there's been indication of another vote in the works in 2023 where the people can reconsider their decision. By Californian law, a legislative solution without a success in ballot makes chances of legalization very slim. In a situation where an agreement is reached in 2023, the earliest sports betting activities can launch in the state is 2024.
Sportsbooks are hopeful something different could happen in the state in 2023, clearing the path to their launch in the state in coming. California is America's biggest market in most aspects and could become the same for betting.
A Change of Culture in Texas?
The state of Texas has historically opposed gambling. The American state till date does not have a casino situated anywhere within its borders. This culture is a stumbling block to the legalization of sports betting in the state. Top political executives in the state are also against allowing the practice within the state.
However, there's been a recent push, which is gaining momentum, to bring in casinos into the state. A success in that could offer sports betting a great hope as it could be attached into the legislation. Texas' first attempt to legalize sports betting was in 2021, but the bill failed to advance to the committee.
The Texas legislative session only occurs in the odd year; this thereby offers a lot of hope that the idea of sports betting could be considered in 2023. For a state that has never been on the same side with sports betting, it is worth waiting to see if 2023 will mark a cultural change in Texas.
Nebraska on the Verge
Sports betting has been legally allowed in Nebraska since 2021. The sports betting bill was passed in the Nebraska Legislature and signed into law by Governor Pete Rickkets. Recently, the state's gambling regulatory body, the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission (NRGC) voted to approve the rules on sports betting but failed to announce any official date for the launching of activities. However, it is expected that sports betting will see the green light in the states in 2023. This could be extended to 2024 nonetheless, but hopes are high on what the plan the NRGC comes up with for sports betting in the state.
