Ohio Retail Sportsbooks • OH Mobile Sports Betting Apps

Real money sportsbooks went live in Ohio on January 1, 2023. These legal sportsbooks are available both online and at casinos and other locations, including stadiums and taverns.

US Casino Advantage may earn a commission if you accept one of the offers on this page. Ohio sports bettors must be at least 21 years old. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966.

Which online sportsbooks operate in Ohio?

Most major online sportsbook brands are licensed to operate in Ohio. This includes Bally’s, Barstool, Bet365, Betfred Sports, BetMGM, BetRivers, Betway, Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Gamewise, Parx, PlayUp, PointsBet, Hard Rock, Out the Gate, SuperBook, Tipico, Underdog Sports Wagering, and WynnBet. Most sportsbooks have a special offer for new players. This is often a bonus bet if your first wager loses. Some are deposit bonuses.

Retail and Online Sportsbooks in the United States

Ohio sportsbook legislative history

In May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional. This opened the door for states outside Nevada to legalize sports betting.

More than half the states in the country have legalized sports betting. Some went with only live betting at a retail sportsbook. Many added statewide mobile sports betting to the list of allowed games. A few only permit sports betting by mobile devices and computers.

The Ohio Legislature overwhelmingly passed legal sportsbooks

The Ohio Legislature passed HB 29 by a margin of 31-1 in the Senate and 72-12 in the House. Governor DeWine signed HB 29 into law.

The tax rate will be 10% of net sportsbook win. There may be up to 25 mobile sports betting operations and up to 42 retail sportsbooks in Ohio.

Type A licenses are types of operations that will book a bet. These include the state’s 11 casinos and racinos, as well as sports teams and leagues. Type A licensees will be able to offer two mobile sports betting apps. The first comes with a $3 million licensing fee that is valid for five years. A second mobile betting license could be applied for with a $10 million fee for five years.

Type B licenses are for establishments that do not yet have gaming. Type C licenses are available to businesses with a liquor license. These establishments would be able to have sports betting kiosks.

The bill’s language permits remote registration and financial transactions. This means that players could create an account on a phone or computer without having to go to an Ohio casino.

Approved sports wagers in Ohio

Wagers may be accepted on approved sporting events in Ohio. This includes most major professional and many NCAA Division I sporting events. Sports approved by the Ohio Casino Control Commission include Australian Rules Football, baseball, basketball, bowling, boxing, cricket, cycling, e-sports, football, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, MMA, motorsports, Olympics, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling. Available sports wagers may vary by sportsbook.

Additional sports may become available in the future. Unapproved wagers include statistical actions of coaches, officials, and referees; negative wagers, such as injuries or game ejections; results that are determined by random chance, like coin flips; pre-recorded events or events with previously determined results; and events in which over 50% of the participating athletes are under 18 years of age.

Sports betting definitions

Straight bets: These involve a wager on one outcome. This is typically a point spread, moneyline, run line, puck line, or total. An over or under bet is a total.
Parlay: A parlay involves a wager made on two or more outcomes. If one outcome loses, the entire parlay is graded as a loss. Ties are dropped by most parlays, though some books have special cards that grade pushes as losers.
Teaser: This type of bet has points added to a spread that favors the bettor. For example, in football, a teaser may add 6, 6.5 or 7 points to the number on the board. A player that makes a six-point teaser on two seven-point favorites now has two one-point favorites. All outcomes on a teaser must win to cash, though pushes remove that bet from the ticket. Teasers are available in basketball and football.
Futures: These wagers involve picking an eventual winner in a league, like a championship or division.
Props: These types of bets are exotics. It often includes stats posted by an individual player or team, like the number of points scored or yards gained.
In-game: Most online sportsbooks have in-game wagering. This is sometimes called live betting. It allows bettors to get into action after an event starts. Typical bets available here are point spreads, moneylines, and totals.
Round Robin: A round robin is a type of parlay. Players choose several different outcomes and decide how to break it up. For example, a six-team grouping could be rotated with two-team, three-team, four-team, and five-team parlays for every combination. This lowers the variance of betting a six-game parlay, while at the same time greatly increasing the number of wagers, and potentially, the amount bet.

How Ohio residents bet on sports before legalization

The old ways of betting on sports in Ohio often involved local bookmakers and offshore betting sites. However, there are several issues with choosing these options. There is no regulation. If there is a dispute, or the illegal sports betting operation does not pay you, there is no recourse. That is why it is better to place your sports wagers at Ohio sportsbooks.

There are four states that border Ohio with legal sports betting. Residents once drove across the border to Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, or Indiana and created a mobile betting account on a phone. Making wagers with a licensed sportsbook in one of these states is just as safe as making it at a casino, so it was a good way to bet legally at the time. Note that if you bet at a mobile sportsbook in another state, you are not able to claim a first deposit bonus from it in Ohio.

Ohio had legalized daily fantasy sports long before sportsbooks. Residents can make an account and start playing on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings today. The minimum age for that is 18.