Fanatics may struggle to reach the targeted 15-20 states by football season, but it is making inroads to become a big player in Ohio after opening another retail sportsbook in the Buckeye State.
Ohio sports stars of the past Ryan Shazier and RJ Umberger were the stars of the show as Fanatics opened its new sportsbook in Columbus. The pair placed the first bets at the new sportsbook which is located inside the Columbus Arena District in association with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Shazier placed $20 @+700 on the Buckeyes to win the college football national championship, while former Blue Jackets center Umberger placed $20 @+475 on the Steelers to win the AFC North Division.
After the ceremony yesterday, the sportsbook will officially open for business later today.
“Tomorrow will be an exciting day for Blue Jackets fans and for sports fans in Ohio as we officially open the Fanatics Sportsbook in the shadow of Nationwide Arena,” said Blue Jackets Sr. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Cameron Scholvin.
“I’d like to thank RJ and Ryan for joining us today, as well as extend our gratitude to our partners at Fanatics and the many others that worked very hard to make this remarkable facility a reality.”
Fanatics opened its other retail location in Ohio last week at the Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians, whilst it also came out of beta testing in Ohio and three other states.
With a highly anticipated launch finally coming – featuring a strong rewards program across the entire Fanatics portfolio of products – onlookers will be eager to see how the app performs in the Buckeye State, which has quickly established itself as one of the major states for the industry.
“It was a great day to be a Buckeye at the Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus,” said Ari Borod, Chief Business Officer at Fanatics Betting and Gaming. “Having Columbus sports legends like Ryan and RJ come out and place the first bets shows that we plan to be the premier sports viewing and betting destination in the Arena District when we open our doors to the public on Friday.
“The Fanatics Sportsbook Columbus will be a great complement to our online sportsbook experience for sports fans living and visiting Ohio.”
