JACK working on sportsbooks at Cleveland casino, Thistledown racino, plus an Ohio mobile

CLEVELAND, Ohio — With legal sports gambling on its way, JACK Entertainment is looking to build two sportsbooks to let Clevelanders get in on the action and a new app that could be used anywhere in Ohio.

The deadline for state regulators to open up live sports wagering is Jan. 1, 2023, but plans are well under way, and a free-to-play app could come sooner rather than later.

“We’re as eager as our customers are to get it live,” said Adam Suliman, vice president of sports and digital gaming for JACK Entertainment.

The Ohio legislature passed legal sports gambling in December after three years of debate. Under the rules, Ohioans will be able to bet at retail sportsbooks, online or on apps and at kiosks at bars with specific liquor licenses, but not until all the rules and licensing are in place.

Suliman and others don’t expect things to go live until the 2023 deadline. Jessica Franks, spokeswoman for the Ohio Casino Control Commission, said it could take six months to create the rules, which must be done before it can start taking applications.

“We’re going to need the rest of this year to get everything done,” Franks said.

JACK Entertainment, which owns the JACK Cleveland Casino and JACK Thistledown Racino in North Randall, plans to offer betting at both locations and online and on mobile.

Suliman said both locations will have Las Vegas-style sportsbooks with video walls, comfortable lounge chairs and all the amenities that go along with that.

While it won’t be as large as the super-sportsbooks in Las Vegas, JACK is trying to deliver the same experience, Suliman said.

“We’re in design on those right now and we’ll be swinging hammers pretty soon,” Suliman said.

JACK also is planning a website and an app under the betJACK banner. While it’ll offer bets on a variety of sports — even things like table tennis — Suliman said JACK plans to have a big focus on Cleveland sports.

With more and more data available, there’s more bets to make before and during games.

“It’s pretty remarkable the difference between sports betting now and 10 years ago,” Suliman said. “We’re able to offer pretty much up to the minute real-time bets.”

One popular bet has been same-game parlay bets, where someone can make multiple bets on one game – an example being bets on how a handful of Cleveland Browns players may perform.

Bettors will have time to learn. JACK soon will launch a free-to-play version of its sports betting app.

He said they’re looking at it as a sort of training camp, where people can get up to speed in a risk-free environment. The same bets will be available on betjack.com.

The website already has articles and information on Ohio sports teams and on sports betting.

There are 11 casinos and racinos in Ohio, with casinos offering table games and slot machines and racinos offering only slots, along with horse racing.

The sports gambling bill creates these types of licenses. Class A, which are used mobile and online betting operations. Class B, which is used for brick-and-mortar betting locations like sportsbooks, and Class C, used for betting kiosks in bars with a specific liquor permit.

Ohio will allow 25 Class A licenses and 40 Class B licenses. Franks said Ohio’s 11 casinos and racinos, as well as Ohio’s eight sports teams, would get preference for those licenses. The PGA at locations in Akron and Dublin and NASCAR at the Mid-Ohio Speedway near Mansfield are also eligible.

JACK plans apply for a license when applications open, JACK spokesperson Aleksandra Breault said.

Suliman said sports gambling is expected to reach $500 million in revenue across Ohio when the industry matures. Not a small amount of money, but small compared to the $2.31 billion in gambling revenue brought in by Ohio’s casinos and racinos in 2021.

And it will be anywhere from 2.5 to 5 years before it hits the $500 million mark, Suliman said.

Though there will be plenty of mobile betting, Suliman believes sports gambling will also become an experience JACK can offer, especially around a time like March Madness or playoffs in popular sports.

“There’s something special about a fourth-quarter drive at a sportsbook, because half the people want it to end in a touchdown and the other half want it to end in an interception,” Suliman said.