Ohio Sports Betting Apps: 10 Best OH Online Sportsbooks in 2026
Ohio is one of the US states where sports betting is legal, meaning you can place wagers on licensed sportsbooks within the state. The real challenge, however, is finding trusted Ohio sports betting sites. These sportsbooks stand out for their sizable bonuses, wide betting markets, and official licenses.
The Best Sportsbooks for Ohio Sports Betting Online
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- Time Limit: 60 days
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- A Quick Glance at Sports Betting in Ohio
- Best Betting Promos from Online Sportsbooks in OH - Free Bets Are Abundant
- Legal Bets in the Buckeye State
- Updated List of Online & Retail Betting Sites in Ohio
- Betting on Sports in Ohio vs Neighboring States
- When Sports Betting in Ohio Became Legal
- Revenue & Handle: Fiddling With The Tax Rate
- Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
- Licensing & Oversight
- Responsible Gaming in OH
- Summing Up Sports Betting in Ohio / Pros/Cons Recap
- Final Expert Verdict on Sports Betting in Ohio
- FAQ: Ohio sports betting
- More Betting States
A Quick Glance at Sports Betting in Ohio
Unlike most states where retail and mobile sportsbooks all debuted at differing dates or even differing years, Ohio lawmakers elected to have a deliberate process where the vast majority of current sportsbooks all went live on the same date at the start of 2023.
Sportsbooks in Ohio may have only been launched relatively recently, but there is a robust selection to appease all kinds of bettors in the Buckeye State.
| Live Since: | Jan. 1, 2023 for both retail and online |
| Total Online Books: | 14 |
| Total Retail Books: | 11 (at four casinos and seven racinos |
| Handle & Revenue: | The Ohio betting handle in 2024 was $8.9 billion, leading to $904 million in revenue. |
| Sports Betting Tax Rate: | 20% |
| Legal Betting Age: | 21+ |
Since then, no U.S. state has drawn more attention from the sports betting industry than Ohio for its tax policy. When the state launched sports betting in January 2023, the tax rate was an industry-friendly 10%. But just six months later, the legislature and Gov. Mike DeWine doubled the rate to a more typical 20%. In 2025, lawmakers have debated whether to increase this rate further to increase state revenue, but have yet to succeed.
Best Betting Promos from Online Sportsbooks in OH - Free Bets Are Abundant
Top sportsbooks often offer new users who win their first $5 bet an alluring $300 in free bets, and they might throw in a time-limited free NBA League Pass. Others might throw in special conditions to a similar offer, like it not mattering if you win or lose the bet.
There are also offers to bet $1, then potentially double your winnings on each of your next 20 bets, or make a $10+ initial deposit, then receive up to $2,000 in “Bet Insurance FanCash” toward their items such as sports merchandise.
Various sites occasionally offer "risk-free bets" or "odds boosts," though typically at a maximum of $10. As you can see there are often plenty of options for bettors.
Legal Bets in the Buckeye State
State regulators allow wagering on every major sport, and most of the less popular sports as well. But the Governor not only successfully enacted a ban on all individual college player performance “prop betting,” he is eager to ban all such wagering on professional sports as well. That would make Ohio a pioneer in that respect.
An Ohio lawmaker even wants to ban in-game wagering altogether, which would significantly impact the annual revenue achieved by sportsbooks.
Official Sports Teams
Cincinnati has MLB’s Reds and the NFL’s Bengals, while Cleveland features the MLB’s Guardians, NFL’s Browns and the NBA’s Cavaliers. Columbus – the most-populated city in Ohio – has the NHL’s Blue Jackets.
The state also is home to a serious NCAA football championship contender in Ohio State, which may be the most appealing team of all for gamblers in the state.
The other state football schools are the University of Cincinnati plus six schools in the Mid-American Conference: Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami of Ohio, Ohio University, and Toledo.
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- Min. package: $4.99
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Other Restrictions on Sports Betting
Even with all of the major sports covered, Ohio regulators do have their limits beyond disfavoring prop betting - no wagering on badminton, jai alai, darts, competitive eating contests, the color of the Gatorade dumped on the head of the winning Super Bowl coach after their victory, or sailing. But none of those restrictions put a real dent in any sportsbook’s annual handle.
Updated List of Online & Retail Betting Sites in Ohio
There are currently 14 online sportsbooks and 11 retail sportsbooks live in Ohio.
Online Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- Bet365 – Jan. 1, 2023
- BetJACK – Jan. 1, 2023
- Betly – Jan. 1, 2023
- BetMGM – Jan. 1, 2023
- Betr – Jan. 1, 2023
- BetRivers – Jan. 1, 2023
- Caesars – Jan. 1, 2023
- DraftKings – Jan. 1, 2023
- FanDuel – Jan. 1, 2023
- Hard Rock Bet – Jan. 1, 2023
- Fanatics – Aug. 16, 2023
- BallyBet – Sept. 9, 2023
- Prime Sports – Sept. 13, 2023
- ESPNBet – Nov. 14, 2023
Retail Sportsbooks and Official Launch Dates
- MGM Northfield Park racino – Jan. 1, 2023
- Jack Cleveland casino – Jan. 1, 2023
- Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati – Jan. 1, 2023
- Belterra Park Cincinnati – Jan. 1, 2023
- Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs – Jan. 1, 2023
- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway – Jan. 1, 2023
- Jack Thistledown Racino – Jan. 1, 2023
- Miami Valley Gaming – Jan. 1, 2023
- Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course – Sept. 17, 2024
- Hollywood Casino Toledo – Sept. 27, 2024
- Hollywood Casino Columbus – Sept. 28, 2024
Leading Sportsbooks in Ohio: Two Operators Reign Supreme
The top two operators are virtually the same in every state, and there is no exception when it comes to Ohio. Here, leaders like FanDuel brought in over $200 million in handle in August 2025 alone.
Third place, however, varies across the U.S., with operators like Fanatics, ESPNBet, and Caesars bringing in much less comparatively.
Betting on Sports in Ohio vs Neighboring States
Ohio ranks just 11th in all-time betting handle in the U.S. at $21.8 billion through August 2025, in part because of a relatively late start regarding legalization. The state has the seventh-largest population, and larger states California and Texas have no sports betting while Florida only has the wagering from the Seminole Native American tribe.
Pennsylvania, meanwhile, is fifth at $40.2 billion - nearly double Ohio’s total in spite of having only a slightly larger population. Indiana at $23.4 billion and Michigan at $22.4 billion are just ahead of Ohio in the rankings. Kentucky ($5.1 billion) and West Virginia ($3.1 billion) are far down the list.
When Sports Betting in Ohio Became Legal
It took Ohio about three years to get sports betting legalized, starting in 2020. It had an impactful launch in 2023, with multiple sportsbooks entering the market on the same day to welcome in the new year.
Ohio’s First Attempts at Legalization
- 2020: The House Finance Committee advances an Ohio sports betting bill, but the bill made no further progress.
2021-2022 Legislators Give the Green Light
- December 2021: The Ohio Senate and House pass a new sports betting bill that is signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine.
- June 2022: The Ohio Casino Control Commission announces the date for a simultaneous launch for all retail and mobile sportsbooks.
2023-2024 Sportsbooks Launch, And So Do Taxes
- Jan. 1, 2023: Numerous sportsbooks all launch at once.
- July 1, 2023: The sportsbook tax rate in the state doubles from 10% to 20%, as had been recommended by the Governor just one month after the first bets were taken.
- February 2024: Ohio regulators elect to ban all college player props, as has been suggested by the NCAA - college sports’ governing body nationally.
2025: Double the Trouble - Taxes and Investigations
- February 2025: DeWine proposes doubling the sports betting tax again, this time to 40% - about double the typical sportsbook tax rate in the U.S.
- April 2025: Ohio lawmakers reject the proposed tax hike.
- August 2025: Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are suspended indefinitely by Major League Baseball pending an investigation into suspicious gambling issues. Two incidents in June where an unusual amount of money was wagered on in-game bets that Ortiz would throw a ball, not a strike, on the first pitch of an at-bat.
Regulators were adamant about not letting any single sportsbook get a leg up on the competition, which is why the process was so deliberate. Ohio gamblers benefited in the sense that they understood what the launch date was, and which operators were starting at that time.
Revenue & Handle: Fiddling With The Tax Rate
| Total Handle to Date: | Ohio residents and visitors to the state have wagered $21.8 billion through August 2025. |
| Tax Revenue to Date: | Ohio has taken in $391.9 million in sports betting tax through August 2025, aided by the doubling of the tax rate in mid-2023 to a more typical 20%. |
| Breakdown of Online vs. Retail Share | Mobile sportsbooks account for 98% of all sportsbook handle - a slightly higher percentage than most other states. |
| YoY Growth Rates: | The handle in Ohio in 2024 was $8.9 billion, significantly higher than the $7.7 billion wagered in 2023. But sportsbook gross revenue actually dipped in 2024 to $901.4 million, compared to to $935 million in 2023. |
| Handle Milestones: | Because of the highly-anticipated January 2023 simultaneous launch of so many sportsbooks, the state took in an astonishing $1.1 billion in wagers in its first month - a total that neighboring Pennsylvania has yet to reach. The state reached the $1 billion total for a third time in January 2025. |
For a U.S. state that began with a low 10% sports betting tax rate, some might call the state’s multiple attempts to double its numbers ambitious. It worked the first time, when Gov. DeWine doubled the rate to 20%.
However, in Feb. 2025, DeWine included in his annual budget proposal a plan to double the tax rate again to 40%. It would have been one of the highest rates in the nation, bringing in new revenue to help fund an upgrade to the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals stadium and to help pay for a new stadium for the rival Cleveland Browns.
That proposal was not included in the final budget, but even the suggestion ruffled the feathers of sportsbook operators who have seen several other states raise their initial tax rates as well.
Lawmakers in mid-2025 were still discussing the idea of a bill similar to Illinois – a tiered tax rate system that could levy a tax of more than 30% on the largest sportsbooks in the state.
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
Official Team and Sportsbook Partnerships
In Ohio, partnerships between Ohio state sports teams and sportsbooks come and go. For example, there are agreements between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Fanatics and the Cleveland Browns and Bally Bet, but there are others that didn't survive:
- The Cleveland Cavaliers shut down their sportsbook at their arena in August 2024.
- The Cincinnati Bengals partnered with Betfred until the sportsbook left the state in July 2024.
- Prophet Bet had a deal with the Blue Jackets until it left the state in May 2024.
A couple other sports betting partnerships in place in Ohio are Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs with Caesars, and FanDuel with Belterra Park Racino.
Licensing & Oversight
The Ohio Casino Control Commission was formed in 2009 to oversee casinos to be opened in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo. The commission has since added daily fantasy sports regulation to its responsibilities before adding sports betting in 2023.
The rollout of legal sports betting in the U.S. since a Supreme Court ruling in mid-2018 that opened the door for to add Las Vegas-style sports betting has come in two phases. The early-adapting states tended to prioritize speed to launch as soon as possible to maximize tax revenue. Regulators in later-adapting states like Ohio, however, have elected to be more deliberate in launching the new wagering.
Responsible Gaming in OH
Ohio for Responsible Gambling consists of four state agencies - the Ohio Lottery Commission, the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the Ohio State Racing Commission, and the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) - that collaborate in efforts to help residents who may find themselves in distress over irresponsible gambling.
The Ohio Problem Gambling Hotline is 1-800-589-9966. Time Out Ohio is the state’s self-exclusion program that is unusual in that individuals can choose to ban themselves from Ohio’s casinos, Ohio racinos, and Ohio sportsbooks either for one year, five years, or forever.
Summing Up Sports Betting in Ohio / Pros/Cons Recap
Top Reasons to Bet in Ohio
- Ohio State is the defending NCAA football national champion after claiming its ninth title in January 2025, which has attracted fans from all over the state to follow their efforts. Expectations are high for a possible repeat performance in 2026.
- Both Ohio State and Cincinnati are schools that annually have a reasonable chance of qualifying for the NCAA men’s basketball March Madness tournament.
- The state has most of the major sportsbook players, giving bettors an ample set of options.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the NBA title in 2016, seem likely to achieve a winning record in 2025-26 for a fifth straight season.
Top Reasons Not to Bet in Ohio
- Aside from the Cavaliers, the rest of the pro sports landscape is weak. The NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals have never won the Super Bowl, the Cleveland Browns have never even reached the Super Bowl, the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets have never even reached the Stanley Cup Final, MLB’s Cleveland Guardians (formerly Indians) franchise hasn’t won a World Series since 1948, and the Cincinnati Reds haven’t won the World Series in 1990.
- The ban on betting on individual college athlete player props is one thing, but there is a real possibility that the state will ban such props on professional players as well. That would be an inconvenience for a significant number of the state’s gamblers.
Get off to a great start with these betting bonuses
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $4.99
- Time Limit: 60 days
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Bonus Difficulty: Easy
- Min. package: $1
- Time Limit: 203 days
Final Expert Verdict on Sports Betting in Ohio
The state has produced solid betting handle figures since the January 2023 launch, and that is likely to continue. The doubling of the tax rate to 20% - about the national average - was a shrewd move to gain tax revenue without overly burdening the state’s sportsbooks.
But if Gov. Mike DeWine and his supporters in the legislature are able to pass the proposed 40% tax rate, bettors would lose out in terms of the likely departure from some sportsbooks from the state as well as inducing the books to offer fewer promotions and more unfavorable odds than exist now.
FAQ: Ohio sports betting
Is sports betting legal in Ohio?
Yes. Sports betting has been legal in Ohio since January 2023. At the moment, you can place sports wagers in over 15 betting sites in the Buckeye State.
What's the best sports betting site in Ohio?
The best Ohio sports betting sites depend on your preference. BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, and Fanatics are top-rated sportsbooks in the state. Pick one and start placing wagers.
Can I claim welcome bonuses at Ohio sports betting sites?
Yes. All five recommended Ohio betting sites offer sizable welcome bonuses and other sports promotions, including odd boosts.
What types of sports can you wager on at Ohio sports betting sites?
You can bet on sports like football, basketball, tennis, cricket, horse racing, golf, greyhound racing, and more. Many Ohio sportsbooks also feature niche sports like floorball, futsal, darts, and snookers.
Do all Ohio sportsbooks offer a reward program?
No. Although many online betting sites in Ohio feature loyalty programs, others don't. However, the sites on the on-page banners offer sizable promotions and loyalty perks to boost your bankroll.
