O.J. Simpson won his bid Thursday for an early release from prison after a Nevada Parole Board unanimously granted the request.

He could be out from behind bars as soon as October 1, but that doesn’t mean he’s walking out a free man.

“Parole is but one step out of the prison gate,” said Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School in Los Angeles professor and longtime Simpson case commentator.

The Hall of Fame football star, now 70 and once celebrated for his speed on the field, has been serving nearly nine years at a medium-security lockup northeast of Reno. He was convicted in 2008 for an armed heist at a Las Vegas hotel in which he and a group of men tried to recover sports memorabilia — an incident that earned him his minimum nine- to 33-year prison sentence.

His parole is due to expire September 29, 2022, which means he must spend about five years living under the terms of his release. Why not longer? The parole board explained during Simpson’s hearing that good behavior combined with other factors means he’s eligible for up to a 50 percent reduction in his sentence under state rules.

Under the standard conditions for parole, Simpson must go directly to the program approved by the Division of Parole and Probation and report to a supervising officer, according to the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners He would have to submit written monthly reports to that officer until his parole ends.