Intralot has agreed a deal through its US subsidiary to provide its Orion Sportsbook solution to the Ohio Lottery.
Under the five-year deal, Intralot will use current lottery equipment and infrastructure to facilitate sports betting for retailers and customers throughout the state.
The project is expected to go live in January 2023. So far, 700 retail locations have been approved for sports betting, with this network expected to grow to over 1,000 in the coming months.
Intralot secured a provisional license from the Ohio Casino Control Commission for the new initiative and said it expects a full license to be awarded next month.
The deal will further strengthen Intralot’s ties with Ohio as the provider has been providing a central gaming system in the state since 2009. This system delivers, manages and accounts for all current in-state and multi-state draw Ohio Lottery games.
Intralot already provides sports betting services to the District of Columbia’s DC Lottery. However, despite being the only operator available throughout the entire district and being the first operator to market, results have been disappointing. The Intralot-powered Gambet sportsbook lags some way behind market leader William Hill in revenue and handle.
Ohio approvals
A host of operators have secured licenses in Ohio in recent weeks, most recently Toronto-listed gaming group FansUnite.
However, The Ohio Casino Control Commission said it plans to deny a license application from operator PlayUp, after it discovered “potential illegal gambling activity by PlayUp”.