CLEVELAND — It’s game on for sports gambling in Ohio. It’s now legal to wager who will bring home a win on the field and one Northeast Ohio sports bar is hoping that’s a win for their business.
What You Need To Know
- Sports betting went live in Ohio on Jan. 1, 2023
- Dina’s Pizza & Pub is among nearly 1,000 Ohio locations approved to host sports gambling kiosks
- Players can also place bets at brick and mortar businesses by using the Sportsbet Ohio app
When you’re born into the pizza business, you learn how to handle the heat in the kitchen.
“A lot of people like to watch the Browns and eat their sorrows away,” said Tommy Walsh, manager of Dina’s Pizza & Pub. “Dina” is his mom.
And on game days, it’s game time for the sports bar/restaurant.
“Win or lose, people like to eat,” Walsh said.
With the kitchen churning out pizzas, wings and other grub at a rapid pace.
As a lifelong Browns fan, Walsh understands the ups and downs of supporting the team.
“It takes a lot of tissue boxes, a lot of cold beverages and being OK with being disappointed,” he said. “Everyone at the bar just turned around and gave me a thumbs up,” he added, laughing.
But he stays loyal.
“I’ll always bet on the Browns,” he said.
And now, fans can put their money where their mouths are by placing legal bets on sporting events.
The Cleveland sports bar is one of hundreds of locations statewide with an Ohio Lottery kiosk.
“This home screen should have two options: one to play Ohio Lottery, which is this Keno and this other stuff on here, and the the other’s going to be this sports betting,” he said, pointing at the device.
But the software update didn’t go through for the Jan. 1 launch at Dina’s. Instead, folks could use their smartphones and the Sportsbet Ohio app.
Players use the app to place their bets, then a server or bartender scans a QR code on the phone and collects the player’s payment, printing out a ticket for the player.
When the kiosk is operational, payments will be accepted directly through the kiosk, which will print out tickets for the player.
Right now, the process is new and a little clunky, with Walsh a little worried about serving customers and placing people’s wagers.
“When someone’s trying to get that last-minute bet in for a 1 o’clock game and it’s 12:50,” he said.
But he’s excited to offer customers a new way to play without having to go to a casino.
“It’s now in the backyard of our own homes, so we’re able to come up here, sit down, have good food, good drinks and then play,” he said. “And hopefully bet on the Browns to win and hopefully they do win.”
