Sportsbooks at JACK Casino and Thistledown open in time for Ohio State vs. Michigan; no bets until Jan. 1

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Whereas authorized sports activities betting remains to be a month away in Ohio, you gained’t have to attend to see two of Cuyahoga County’s new sportsbooks.

The Las Vegas-style betting lounges at JACK Cleveland On line casino and JACK Thistledown Racino opened Wednesday. Whereas guests can’t wager, they’ll get pleasure from theater-style seating and enormous video partitions as they watch “The Recreation” between Ohio State and Michigan on Saturday.

JACK Leisure will run two of the 5 sportsbooks in Cuyahoga County, with the others owned by the Browns, Cavs and Guardians. MGM Northfield Park may also have a sportsbook in northern Summit County.

The downtown on line casino and the racino in North Randall are designed to feel and appear like a Las Vegas sportsbook, with their very own distinctive options. There can be video partitions, recliners and betting kiosks, together with desk video games and slot machines.

The areas are constructed to take bets, however they’re additionally designed to create in-person pleasure that doesn’t include one thing like cell betting.

Within the on line casino, the sportsbook is close to the Prospect Avenue entrance on the primary flooring. The 6,000 square-foot lounge could have two, 30-foot-wide video partitions that may play two huge video games or a number of video games directly. Extra TVs are scattered throughout the room.

It has 5 betting home windows staffed by employees and 20 self-serve kiosks. The downtown sportsbook additionally has a desk video games pit, letting individuals play video games like poker and roulette whereas staying within the sportsbook. The area may also have a video poker bar that seats 12.

The Thistledown Racino sportsbook is barely smaller at 4,200 square-feet. The area could have a 30-foot-wide video wall together with additional TVs positioned throughout the room. It should even have an 86-foot-long ticker, the place visitors can see scores, betting odds and different info because it scrolls throughout the room.

Thistledown’s sportsbook could have slot machines, however no desk video games. Tables video games are solely allowed on the state’s 4 casinos.

• Sports activities betting involves Ohio on Jan. 1, 2023: Your questions answered

JACK Leisure additionally has a cell sports activities betting license and has launched the BetJack app. The app is up and operating, and customers can place coaching bets, however no apps can take actual bets till Jan. 1.

Ohio’s sports activities playing legislation, handed in December, created three sorts of sports activities betting. Brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, on-line betting and sports activities gaming kiosks that may be present in bars and bowling alleys.

The state created 40 licenses for retail sportsbooks, however Cuyahoga County is proscribed to simply 5 licenses.

Sean McDonnell covers enterprise and client subjects for cleveland.com. You’ll be able to attain him at smcdonnell@cleveland.com Learn earlier tales at this hyperlink. Additionally:

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