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NOTABLE EXECUTIVES IN TECHNOLOGY: These honorees represent almost every aspect of the tech world. PAGE 10

CRAINSCLEVELAND.COM I DECEMBER 19, 2022

READY, SET, BET

Answers to 10 questions about sports gambling My first full-time job in journalism was at The Vindicator in Youngstown, a city where I once saw a man at the grocery store buying just two things: a ball of mozzarella cheese and a package of “Just For Men” gel. The Vindicator was an afternoon newspaper when I first started and I would occasionally get phone calls at 5:30 a.m. from a guy who wanted to know the halftime scores of Canadian Football League (CFL) games. Back then, this behavior was called “problem gambling.” Now? It’s just a fun prop bet, no different than betting how many 3-pointers Steph Curry might make in a quarter. Or what color Gatorade they’ll use in dunking the Super Bowl-winning coach. Or which of your legs your loan shark will break first after discovering you can’t repay the $10,000 loan you

took out to wager on CFL halftime scores. “Joe, does this story have a point?” Yes! The point is, sports gambling is arriving in Ohio on Jan 1., which means you’ll no longer need to place bets with an offshore account run by the Russian mafia or someone named “Vinnie” who buys discount hair dye and BelGioioso in equal measure. But before you empty your child’s 529 account to bet on a Cleveland Cavaliers championship (current odds: +1800, meaning a $100 bet will win you $1,800), you may have some questions about what sports gambling in Ohio is going to look like. That’s where this story comes in. I’ll tackle 10 common questions, throw in some jokes and — voilà! — you’ll soon be losing money like a seasoned professional.

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BY JOE SCALZO

See GAMBLING on Page 21

Odeon sale doesn’t mean it’s curtains for Flats concert venue NEW OWNER GBX GROUP EXPECTS TO MAINTAIN THE SPACE AS A VENUE, THOUGH THE COMPANY ISN’T READY TO DISCUSS ITS PLANS.

BY MICHELLE JARBOE

The recent sale of the Odeon doesn’t mean it’s curtains for the scrappy concert club on the east bank of the Flats. New owner GBX Group expects to maintain the space as a venue, though the Cleveland-based company isn’t ready to discuss its plans. Property records show that a GBX affiliate bought the Odeon and two neighboring buildings on Dec. 1. By email, a company representative confirmed that GBX acquired the Odeon as part of a broader effort to revitalize Old River Road. “More details will be coming on the future of the venue, which is an important anchor building in this historic district,” wrote Phil Winton, GBX’s vice president of strategic messaging.

An affiliate of Cleveland-based GBX Group recently acquired the Odeon concert club and two adjoining buildings on Old River Road in the Flats. MICHELLE JARBOE/ CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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Real estate records don’t reveal what GBX paid for the Odeon, at 1295 Old River Road; the sometime Odeon Lounge next door; and a low-slung building occupied by the Frozen Daiquiri Bar & Restaurant. That’s because GBX acquired the limited liability company that owns the properties, rather than purchasing the buildings outright. Seller Mike Tricarichi, who also operated the venue, wouldn’t divulge the price. “I sold it for a lot more than I paid — how about that?” said Tricarichi, president of Telecom Acquisition Corp. and an investor in real estate and entertainment in Cleveland and Las Vegas. See ODEON on Page 20

A CRAIN’S CLEVELAND PODCAST

12/16/2022 11:50:21 AM