DAYTON — Ohioans are getting their pockets ready for Sunday’s Super Bowl as this is the first year they can legally make bets.
More than 50 million Americans are expected to bet on Super Bowl LVII, according to American Gaming Association.
It’s an increase of 60% from last year.
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News Center 7′s Brandon Lewis says there is no word yet on how many of the 50 million Americans making bets will be people in Ohio.
He says as more states make sports betting legal, it will become more accessible to more Americans.
Lewis spent Saturday evening at Bargos Grill & Tap on Miamisburg Centerville Road in Miamisburg and spoke with people who will be watching Sunday’s game from there.
“They got the best service,” said Mark Whitaker of Springboro. “They got the best food, and everybody needs to come to Bargos.”
Mark Landers says there will be a table with his name on it so he can watch the game.
“I’m going to be sitting right at that table,” he said.
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Lewis says with sports betting now legal in Ohio, customers can now place their bets at sports bars like Bargos.
“The first thing that I think about is coming to Bargos and betting on the app,” said Whitaker.
The American Gaming Association says Americans plan to wager an estimated $16 billion on the Super Bowl. That’s more than double last year’s estimates.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen just the overall normalization of sports wagering,” said Andrew Wonders, Cedarville University Assistant Professor of Sport Business Management.
He said one of the biggest factors behind this normalization is states changing their laws as well the partnership between professional leagues, casinos and other online gaming operators.
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“Professional leagues in particular creating partnerships we now have specifically with casinos or other online gaming operators we now have inside of facilities,” Wonders told Lewis. “There are places to make wagers.”
Some people think this is long overdue in the Buckeye State.
“We were giving all of the revenue to Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia etc.,” said Mark Landers. “Now, we have it here so it takes it out of the underground and brings it to the forefront.”
Lewis reports the American Gaming Association says 30 million Americans plan to place a traditional sports wager online at a retail sportsbook or with a bookie.