GeoComply: Ohio jumps to the front on market launch with geolocation numbers
Geolocation data lifts lid on New Year’s Day launch as 234,000 transactions recorded in first hour following the market opening
A total of 11.3 million geolocation transactions took place during the first two days of regulated sports betting in Ohio, according to the latest data from geolocation specialists GeoComply.
This number – extracted from data collected from 00.00 ET on January 1 to 23.59 ET on January 2 – exceeded those of New York, with 9.3 million transactions, and states including Pennsylvania (8.2 million), New Jersey (6.7 million), and Michigan (5.8 million) over the same time period.
Releasing a data update on the Buckeye State, GeoComply reported 234,000 geolocation transactions within the first hour of sports betting launching.
Check out Ohio’s citizens legally betting on sports for the first time during NFL Sunday on New Year's Day! 🏈
Learn more: https://t.co/AB2hDH45Iq pic.twitter.com/NCk3uSnw7k
— GeoComply (@GeoComply) January 4, 2023
GeoComply said 16 operators launched in the state on January 1, with 784,000 accounts registered.
Cincinnati proved to be the busiest city with 1.9 million geolocation transactions, ahead of Columbus with just over one million, despite the state capital having the largest population in Ohio.
Of those other major cities in Ohio, Cleveland recorded 772,000 transactions and Toledo recorded 619,000 during the first two days following launch.
GeoComply SVP of compliance Lindsay Slader highlighted early enthusiasm among Ohioans for the new vertical.
“As expected, residents of the Buckeye State enthusiastically greeted the market at the moment the calendar changed over to 2023,” she said.
“Today, about 44% 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.
Elsewhere, advocacy group Ohio For Responsible Gambling (ORG) has launched a new campaign, Pause Before You Play, to educate bettors following the statewide launch of sports betting.
A spin-off from an earlier ORG campaign, Get Set Before You Bet, this campaign focuses on responsible play and the nuances of sports betting that can pose problems for some gamblers.
Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) director of operations and problem gambling services Amanda Blackford pointed to the ease at which Ohioans can now place bets and conceal potentially damaging losses from immediate family members.
“In other states that preceded Ohio in legalizing sports betting, we’ve seen higher interest and more struggles with problem gambling,” Blackford said.
“We want people to have fun and be responsible,” she added.