Barstool Ohio Unveils New Sports Betting Locations Ahead Of Super Bowl 57

Grant Leonard

Last Updated: February 10, 2023 11:38 AM EST • 2 min read. Twitter link Google News Link

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 14: Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the #95 Barstool Sports Toyota, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chris Graythen/Getty Images/AFP

Even though Ohio football fans won’t be cheering on a team from the state in Super Bowl 57 this weekend, they will have plenty of entertainment options to enjoy the big game’s annual festivities while getting some skin in the game.

Ohio sports betting is off to a hot start after launching its marketplace on Jan. 1, and it will add two new retail sportsbook locations when the Barstool Sportsbook venues open at Hollywood Gaming Mahoney Valley racino and Hollywood Casino Columbus this weekend just in time for its first patrons to enjoy Super Bowl 57.

Technically, PENN Entertainment’s four properties in the state – also including Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway and Hollywood Casino Toledo – began accepting bets in temporary sportsbook set-ups when Ohio launched legal sports betting in January. But as PENN completes the full acquisition of Barstool Sports this month, it has been remodeling its properties with new betting/restaurant/bar areas carrying the Barstool brand.

The American Gaming Association just released research that projects over 50 million American adults will place a legal wager on Super Bowl 57 this weekend, and nearly 20% of those are planning to do so at a retail sportsbook location – so PENN’s timing with these openings is a compelling way to get people in the door.

Integration of sports betting and the fan experience

When all is said and done, people seek sports fandom and sports betting for largely the same reason: entertainment. Ohio is full of passionate sports fans, which should position the state to be a highly competitive market in the U.S. sports betting industry.

With PENN’s new retail sportsbooks coming to Ohio sports betting, the operator is leveraging the allure of Super Bowl 57 to showcase the unique fan experience patrons can have when viewing a major sporting event at a retail sportsbook location that features big-screen video walls, recliners and lounge spaces, bars, dining, and of course, the sportsbook.

PENN acquired Barstool because it appeals to a bit of a younger demographic and sees that as a prime opportunity for growth. And while retail sportsbooks are not always necessarily known as massive profit centers for casinos, operators lean on them to bring in additional customers who might not otherwise show up to the property and who may be incentivized to take advantage of their online sports betting sites.

PENN will continue to carry this strategy out with planned remodeling of its Toledo and Dayton properties to make room for two more Barstool Sportsbook locations later this year, although the opening schedules for those have yet to be announced.

A huge weekend for mobile sportsbooks

While retail sportsbooks are undoubtedly gearing up for heavy traffic this weekend, about 19 million - or 38% - of the bettors AGA’s research expects to wager on Super Bowl 57 will do so on the best sportsbooks available.

Major competitors DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and Caesars are all vying to offer the best Super Bowl betting promos on the market, so whether you’re hitting the retail sportsbook or wagering online, this is an exciting weekend for sports betting any way you slice it!

Written By:
Grant Leonard

Grant is a former junior B ice hockey player, and a current believer that the Washington Capitals’ aging core still has another Cup run left in the tank. Grant’s owned and operated his own marketing agency since shortly after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2014. He pursued the profession because he figured it’d be a great way to get paid to do something he loves to do, write. After years of hammering puck lines and leading his fantasy football league as Commissioner, Grant started writing about sports betting and the casino gaming industry in 2021 and hasn’t looked back.