COLUMBUS, Ohio — In February 2023, $639 million was wagered in Ohio, the second full month of legal sports gambling in the Buckeye State, which included Super Bowl LVII.
This year, more eyes could be on Super Bowl LVIII because of Taylor Swift. One of the only places you will be able to place a bet on the superstar singer is in Las Vegas itself.
Swifties from Ohio cannot legally bet on anything Taylor Swift-related at the game, but before you think the world is out to get her, there are many "prop bets" which can’t be placed in the state.
“You are not going to be able to bet whether Taylor Swift is at the Super Bowl, performs at the Super Bowl, how often they show Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl,” said Jessica Franks, the director of communications for the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Bets on the length of the National Anthem, the coin flip and the color of a performer's dress will have to be sidelined.
“[There is] a strict criteria of things that just aren’t permitted,” said Franks. “It’s not how long the halftime performance is or what’s the first song in the halftime performance, will somebody do XYZ, what color the Gatorade is that gets dumped on the coach or what color a coach’s hat will be.”
Franks added that all bets need to be based on the performance of the athletes, and not something that could be predetermined. Ohio has an event and wager catalog spelling out what sports gaming operators can show.
“You are not going to be able to wager on any of those items. But if someone is on the same app in a different jurisdiction, their list of what they could wager on is likely going to look different,” Franks said.