COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ed Gaughan is the owner of The O on Lane, a restaurant and bar on Ohio State University's north side. 

He, like hundreds of small businesses across the state, recently received a sports betting kiosk, this one courtesy of Gold Rush Gaming. 

What You Need To Know

  • Sports betting kicked off in Ohio on Jan. 1 

  • More than 175 bar and restaurant owners have yet to receive their sports betting kiosks 

  • Gaughan says there are limitations at bars and restaurants when it comes to same-game parlays and prop bets 

Patrons are able to place live bets all over the world in seconds. 

However, the rollout hasn't been smooth and Gaughan hasn't yet seen the gold rush he anticipated. 

“The actual units themselves, to some of the rules, to some of the software," said Gaughan. "No one even has any idea where this is gonna go. Then as we find out the limitations, it kind of scaled it back quite a bit.”  

Other bar and restaurant kiosk limitations include no same-game parlays or prop bets. 

Gaughan said it's hard to forecast how much he can profit from the kiosks; that depends on foot traffic from athletic events and concerts nearby — as well as clever marketing. 

“We definitely want to make people aware that we're doing this but we also want to stay, be careful and stay within the parameters of the gaming commission,” said Gaughan. 

Although sports betting has been legal since Jan. 1, the Ohio Lottery says 175 bar and restaurant locations have not yet received their kiosks.

Proprietors have experienced issues with kiosk availability, software testing, setting up a statewide communication network, training and installation timelines. 

To date, four proprietors have gone live in Ohio. 

PlayOhio says sports betting could generate upwards of $850 million in revenue in 2023. 

Gaughan has a three-year contract with Gold Rush Gaming, so he's invested in the long run. 

He encourages patrons to continue supporting small businesses well past the sports betting kiosk rollout. 

“Whether you put in $5 or $10 or $20 in a game, it's like an entertainment expense. So I would say go out, support your local businesses. You know, use to be you go to bars, there'd be pool tables and video games and that kind of stuff. Everything has kind of switched, so this is something unique, now that I think people will have fun exploring,” said Gaughan.