The Great Kiosk Exodus: Why Your Local Kroger Stopped Taking Bets

If you've searched "sports betting kiosk near me" recently and found a bunch of dead Google results, you're not alone. In June 2025, Ohio's betting kiosk network collapsed almost overnight—and if you weren't paying attention to the business news, you might have no idea why.

Here's what happened: 656 betting kiosks went dark when their operator pulled out of Ohio, leaving just a handful of locations still standing. This is the story of the Great Kiosk Exodus.

What Happened

Intralot, a Greek-based gaming technology company, operated the vast majority of Ohio's betting kiosks under the brand "Intralot Sports." These machines were everywhere: grocery stores, convenience stores, bars, restaurants. You could place a bet at Kroger.

Then, in early 2025, Intralot announced it was exiting the U.S. sports betting market entirely. The company had been struggling with profitability, regulatory challenges, and stiff competition from established U.S. operators. By June, every Intralot kiosk in Ohio was unplugged.

Why Kiosks Failed

The kiosk experiment in Ohio was always a long shot. Here's why it didn't work:

Mobile Apps Were Too Good

Why drive to Kroger to bet when you can do it from your couch? Ohio's mobile sportsbook apps offered better odds, more markets, faster betting, and didn't require pants. The convenience gap was too wide.

Location Friction

Even when kiosks were convenient, using them wasn't. You had to physically find the machine, hope no one was using it, navigate the interface, and insert cash. Every step was slower than the app experience.

Limited Market Coverage

Kiosks typically offered a narrower selection of bets than mobile apps. No player props, fewer game options, limited live betting. For anything beyond basic spreads and totals, you needed the app anyway.

Demographics Mismatch

The people most comfortable using betting kiosks (older, less tech-savvy) were also less likely to be sports bettors. The people most likely to bet (younger, phone-native) saw no reason to use a kiosk.

Where You Can Still Bet In Person

Kiosks aren't completely dead in Ohio—just severely diminished. Here's what's still operating:

UBetOhio Kiosks

UBetOhio, operated by VGW, runs the remaining kiosk network. They have approximately 48 locations across Ohio, primarily in bars and entertainment venues. Unlike the grocery store kiosks, these are in spots where people are already watching sports.

Casino Sportsbooks

Ohio's four casinos all have full-service retail sportsbooks with betting windows and kiosks:

Racino Sportsbooks

Ohio's seven racinos also offer retail betting:

• Caesars at Scioto Downs (Columbus)
• JACK Thistledown Racino (Cleveland area)
• Miami Valley Gaming (Lebanon)
• Eldorado Gaming at Scioto Downs (Columbus)
• MGM Northfield Park (Cleveland area)
• Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley (Youngstown)
• Hollywood Gaming at Dayton (Dayton)

Venue Sportsbooks

Some sports venues have dedicated retail sportsbooks:

The Future of Retail Betting in Ohio

The kiosk collapse doesn't mean retail betting is dead in Ohio—but it does confirm that convenience stores and grocery stores aren't the future. What might work:

Sports Bar Integration

UBetOhio's surviving model—kiosks in bars where people are already watching games—makes more sense than betting at Kroger. The context is right.

Venue-Based Betting

Sportsbooks inside stadiums and arenas (like Fanatics at Nationwide Arena) let fans bet on the game they're watching. That's a use case apps can't fully replicate.

Casino Expansion

Ohio's casinos and racinos continue to invest in their sportsbook spaces. They're not trying to compete with mobile apps on convenience—they're offering an experience.

What Should You Do?

If you were a kiosk user, here are your options:

1. Download a mobile sportsbook app. FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and others are all available in Ohio. If you have a smartphone, this is the easiest transition.
2. Visit a casino. If you prefer betting in person, Ohio's four casinos have full retail sportsbooks with the Vegas experience.
3. Find a UBetOhio location. If you liked the kiosk model, check UBetOhio.com for their remaining locations.
4. Try a racino. Smaller than the casinos but still offer retail betting windows and kiosks.

The kiosk era in Ohio was brief, and honestly, it never really took off. The Great Exodus of 2025 just made official what the market had already decided: when it comes to sports betting, most Ohioans prefer to bet from their phones.