A young applicant has filed to assist as a sports betting proprietor in Ohio, but the regulatory physical structure overseeing the licensing appendage has already said at least voice of that asking testament be denied.
Robert L. Stark Enterprises, Inc. submitted its paperwork to serve up as a host for both an online – a Type group A licence – and a retail sportsbook – a Type b license – on Oct. 17, according to data from the Ohio River Casino Control Commission (OCCC). According to Ohio River Secretary of State business concern records, the society does business organization as Stark Enterprises, a Cleveland-based real-estate development firm.
According to the company’s website, Robert Stark founded the accompany 44 years ago piece studying jurisprudence at Case horse opera Reserve University. He noneffervescent serves as the president and chairman of the company, but he stepped pile as its CEO inwards May. His boy Book of Ezra at present holds that position.
Stark Enterprises’ portfolio includes more than 50 properties inwards viii states. Not surprisingly, most of those developments are inwards Ohio, peculiarly the northeastern nook inwards and around Cleveland. The developments include retail plazas, multi-family housing, business office buildings, educatee residences, parking lots and garages, and mixed-use developments.
The companionship has in time to respond to a call for for comment.
Cleveland Already at Retail Limit
Stark Enterprises has not yet revealed who it testament partner with for either its online certify or its retail sportsbook. However, its application with the OCCC indicates the retail sportsbook would live placed inward Cuyahoga County, where President Cleveland is located.
And that’s the problem.
Ohio’s sports betting natural law allows for upwards to 40 retail sportsbooks across the state. However, the law restricts retail sportsbooks to the state’s most populous counties. With 1.2 meg people, Cuyahoga is the arcsecond to the highest degree populous county and is allowed up to quintuplet retail sportsbooks.
The OCCC has already given conditional commendation to quint proprietors in Cuyahoga County. Those are JACK Stephen Grover Cleveland Casino, JACK Thistledown Racino, the Stephen Grover Cleveland Browns, the President Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Cleveland Guardians.
OCCC Director of Communications Jessica Franks told Casino.org after Wednesday’s coming together inward capital of Ohio that the office has no more choice but to abnegate Stark’s applications programme to legion a retail sportsbook.
Because they applied inward Cuyahoga County and we get already issued the upper limit identification number of type type B licenses for that special county, we are precluded past law of nature from issuing additional licenses,” she said.
Stark is not alone. Two other Cleveland-based businesses, Ravencrest Partners LLC and JSJ Klub, LLC – also known as Harry Buffalo – have applied to host retail sportsbooks. PointsBet had ab initio applied to follow Harry Buffalo’s retail operator, but it has since withdrawn that application.
More About Buckeye State Sports Betting
Under Ohio’s sports betting law, 28 counties are big sufficiency to legion a retail sportsbook. The troika largest – Franklin, Cuyahoga, and Sir William Rowan Hamilton – can buoy hold up to five. The next trio largest – Lucas, Montgomery, and Stark – each tin experience upwards to three, with Earl Warren and Mahoning up to two.
Through Wednesday’s meeting, the OCCC has conditionally sanctioned 20 of the 27 companies that have applied to innkeeper a retail sportsbook. All but I of those conditionally approved are considered preferred applicants. The sports betting law of nature gave preference to the state’s casinos, racinos, and professional sports teams to host brick-and-mortar and online sportsbooks.
It would come along that based on Frank’s comment, the only path Stark Enterprises or another applier seeking a retail sportsbook in Cuyahoga would be if lawmakers were to amend the sports betting jurisprudence to permit for to a greater extent than cinque inwards a county.
For online licenses, the natural law allows for upwards to 25 proprietors. Just the likes of with brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, casinos, racinos, and pro sports teams obtain druthers for online licenses too. Of the 23 proprietor applicants, the direction has approved 21. The only ones that feature non are Stark and SPIRE Institute.
Ohio’s natural law also allows qualifying lottery retailers to go for to innkeeper kiosks. As of Wednesday, the OCCC has approved well-nigh 880 bars, restaurants, foodstuff stores, bowling alleys, golf courses, and other businesses to put in kiosks. They said another 500 or so get been recommended past the lottery, but they get not applied.
Sports betting is go down to scratch line inward OH on Jan. 1. Stark Enterprises applied after the July 15 deadline to set in motion on the starting date.
