Sports betting kiosks in Ohio are going the way of the Dodo; extinct. By the end of June, 93% of sports betting kiosks will be removed from restaurants, bars, and even grocery stores in the Buckeye State after they failed to generate positive returns.
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Sports Betting Dime was the first to report that Type-C kiosks will be withdrawn by June 22, 2025, with Intralot pulling the plug on its kiosk operation.
Why Did Kiosks Fail?
It's a story as old as time, while video killed the radio star, the mobile killed the kiosk. In 2023, kiosk bets reached $30 million, a solid sounding number, but it was a fraction compared to the $17 billion wagered online. For the math crowd, the $30 million in kiosk bets represents 0.1% of online bets.
Kiosks also had limitations. Players could not wager more than $700 per week and could not make in-game bets, futures bets, or prop bets. Parlays were also limited to a maximum of four legs.
So, not only were kiosks an outdated technology preceded by mobile phones, but they also offered fewer betting options. It is no wonder that so few Ohioans used kiosks, and why Senator Nathan Manning called them a "colossal failure".
What's Next For Ohio's Sports Betting Market?
For the kiosk die-hards, a few will remain. UBetOhio kiosks will remain in the state, with nearly 50 kiosks spread throughout the state.
Ohio still has a robust sports gaming industry, generating $222 million in gross revenues, filling the state's coffers with $44.7 million in tax revenues.
But bars and restaurants are hoping to replace the departing sports betting kiosks and the promise of an extra revenue stream they thought they'd get with video lottery terminals (VLT). VLTs are currently illegal in Ohio, but they're hoping these machines can be legalized in Senator Manning's iGaming bill, SB 197.
It is believed that VLTs could inject $600 million in annual tax revenues into the state, a lofty number considering Ohio pulled in $929 million in tax revenues from gaming in 2023.
