Toledo bars ready for Super Bowl with sports betting kiosks
With Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, local bars and restaurants have their kiosks ready for you to place some bets.
TOLEDO, Ohio — With Super Bowl LVII on Sunday and sports betting now legal in Ohio, local bars and restaurants have their kiosks ready for you to place some bets.
The American Gaming Association projects 50.4 million Americans will bet on the Super Bowl.
Toledo resident Izzy Ortiz said the Glass City is the place to be for sports betting.
"Toledo, I think, is the pinnacle for sports betting," he said. "I think it's wonderful and everybody gets excited."
As the excitement continues to build ahead of Sunday's kickoff, local bars, like Nick & Jimmy's, have already seen an increase in the number of people using its kiosk.
"It's done really well," general manager Brian Miller said. "I'm surprised it's done as well as it has because most people right now are doing it on their phones. There are so many apps available and so many free bets available."
Miller believes the rise in mobile betting has actually helped with business because people now know how to use the kiosk when they come to the bar.
While Ortiz doesn't bet often, he's beginning to pick it up.
"I do important sports: Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont, the World Series," he said.
And of course, he's placed a bet on the Super Bowl, too. He's always been a Lions fan and wishes his beloved Detroit team -- or the Cleveland Browns -- were in the game. But, he's going with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The kiosks have been up and running at Nick & Jimmy's for two weeks. Miller said people still come for the food and drinks, but once they realize there's a kiosk, they place a bet.
"In the back, we have a video wall that's new this year," Miller said. "We have a lot of sports on and things going on. If people are rooting for one team and someone's rooting for another, they might place a bet against each other in order to see who wins."
Miller said employees are trained on how to use the kiosk and they have to ID everyone who is using it.
