Cincinnati Reds And BetMGM Debut Sportsbook At Great American Ball Park

Ohio sports betting is coming in a glamorous way. The Cincinnati Reds will debut the BetMGM Sportsbook at Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati Reds choose BetMGM to be its official sports betting partner. The sportsbook is now inviting its long-time season ticket holders to place the historic first bet at the stadium on Jan. 1.

Joined by Cincinnati sports legends, George Foster and Tim Krumrie, all attendees will capture the exclusive occasion inside Cincinnati’s marquee sports betting destination.

BetMGM Sportsbook is located in the Wings and Rings Machine Room on the northeast side of the stadium and is accessible through the arena plaza level entrance. For parking, fans are encouraged to use the Central Riverfront Garage and arrive through the East Pete Rose Way entrance on the east side of the ballpark.

BetMGM hosting the First Bet event in Ohio

T
he BetMGM Sportsbook will open to the public at 11 a.m. for an NFL watch party offering five complimentary wings for at least two parties. These are the event’s highlights:

• The sportsbook’s opening to the public: 11 a.m.
• Ribbon cutting: 11:15 a.m.
• Nascar unveiling: 11:20 a.m.

The First Bet event will also gather the following industry veterans:

• Johnny Grooms, BetMGM, Director of Retail East
• Doug Healy, Cincinnati Reds, Chief Financial Officer
• George Foster, Cincinnati Reds, Two-Time World Series Champion
• Tim Krumrie, Cincinnati Bengals, Pro Bowl Nose Tackle
• DJ Eddie Traynor, Cincinnati Bengals, Host Emcee

Reds’ mascots Mr. Redlegs and Rosie Red will also be on-site for photo opportunities.

Closing the media event, BetMGM will reveal the new paint scheme for the #8 car that Kyle Busch will drive this season. Busch, the Richard Childress Racing team’s newest member, will take control of the No.8 Nascar Camaro in 2023.

Ohio sports betting launch begins Jan. 1

Legal sports betting in Ohio is set to begin when the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1. Buckeye State bettors will have a chance to place legal bets online and in person.

Ohio lawmakers signed a sports betting bill in December last year. Since then, the Ohio Casino Control Commission has been busy setting up rules and dealing with applications to launch sports betting in the state.

Ohio’s sports betting framework offered three kinds of licenses, enabling more than a thousand betting locations to open simultaneously on the launch date. Self-service betting machines will be available at sports bars, restaurants, gas stations and grocery stores across the state.

The OCCC approved licenses for Bally Bet, Betway Sportsbook (Digital Gaming Corporation) and Underdog Sportsbook. These three new licenses bring Ohio’s mobile sportsbook licensee total to 20.

According to PlayOhio.com, the Buckeye state could generate $80 million in first-year bets at kiosks or 1% of Ohio’s total handle of $8.5 billion in bets.

As per Playin USA’s 2023 projections, the state’s handle will reach more than $8 billion, with revenue expected to hit almost $600 million.