Ohio sports betting: Best Ohio sportsbooks available now (September, 2023)

Written and researched by Mac Douglass. Fact checked by Ben Tufts. Last updated September 4, 2023.

Legal sports betting went live in Ohio on January 1, 2023, a development long in the making, as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill that legalized sports betting in Ohio all the way back in May 2021. The law allows Ohio residents to place bets on a wide range of sports events, including professional and collegiate sports, exclusively through licensed and regulated sports betting platforms.

The legalization of sports betting in Ohio is intended to generate significant revenue for the state and provide a boost to the local economy. It also provides a new source of entertainment for sports fans in Ohio, providing them with a new, interactive avenue to engage with their favorite teams and players. Sports betting in Ohio is only available to users over the age of 21, and all bets must be placed through licensed and regulated sports betting platforms. here

Ohio residents can access sports betting through a variety of online sports betting platforms, including DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM Sportsbook, Bet365 Sportsbook, and PointsBet Sportsbook. These platforms offer a wide range of betting options, competitive odds, and user-friendly platforms. In addition to traditional sports betting, they also offer live betting, allowing users to place bets on games taking place in real-time.

Bet365 Sportsbook is a leading online sports betting platform that is popular with sports fans around the world. This is no surprise, given that one of the key features of Bet365 is its extensive coverage of sporting events worldwide, which of course includes just about every sporting event that takes place in Ohio. Bet365 allows users to bet on popular sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and soccer, as well as tennis, golf, the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, and even esports. Bet365 also offers a range of traditional betting options, such as moneyline bets, point spread bets, and over/under bets. What’s more, Bet365 frequently offers promotions and bonuses to help users get the most out of their sports betting experience. In Ohio, these promos include free bets, enhanced odds, and cashback offers and are a great way for sports fans in the Buckeye State to boost their betting bankroll and increase their chances of winning.

Betting with DraftKings allows users to place bets on a huge range of sports events, including football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Users can choose from a variety of betting options, including moneylines, point spreads, and over/unders, as well as live betting, with which they can wager on events currently underway. DraftKings is known for competitive odds and an intuitive interface, making it a popular choice among sports gamblers. Click ➡️ here ⬅️ to claim this offer of Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets.

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, FanDuel offers both traditional sports betting services and daily fantasy sports, through which users are entered in daily and weekly contests and can win cash prizes. FanDuel has partnerships with several major sports leagues and franchises, including the NFL and NBA. The company’s user-friendly platform has led to their reputation as an excellent customer service provider, which is yet another reason FanDuel will be one of the top sports betting options for Ohioans. Click ➡️ here ⬅️ to get FanDuel’s Bet $5, Get $100 in Bonus Bets offer.

A leading provider of online sports betting services, BetMGM became available in Ohio when legal sports gambling launched in 2023 and instantly became one of the top sportsbooks in the state. Ohio residents can access BetMGM Sportsbook through the company’s website or mobile app, providing a convenient, trustworthy option to lay wagers on their favorite sports teams and events. Basketball and hockey fans, in particular, tend to love BetMGM, which has partnerships with the NBA and NHL, among several other sports leagues and franchises, and offers live betting in addition to more traditional options.

Ohio is home to a great number of well-known sports teams and players across several cities. The NFL boasts two Ohio-based franchises, the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, in addition to the Ohio State Buckeyes, one of the most illustrious college football programs in the nation. As well as the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA, two MLB franchises, the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds, call Ohio home, with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and the Columbus Crew of the MLS rounding out Ohio’s impressive list of pro sports teams.

Additionally, Ohio is well known for its high-profile athletes, whether they were born in the state or simply enjoyed stardom suiting up for Ohio-based franchises. Lebron James, arguably the best player in NBA history, is the ultimate example, as not only was Lebron born in Akron, Ohio, but he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 and, following a brief stint with the Miami Heat, returned to the Cavs in 2015, leading them to an NBA Championship the following season. Other famous Ohio-born athletes include Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in track and field at the infamous 1936 Olympics in Berlin; Roger Staubach, a former NFL quarterback and two-time Super Bowl winner with the Dallas Cowboys; and Stephen Curry, another future Hall of Fame NBA player who, improbably, was born in the same Akron hospital as Lebron James.

While the Buckeye State is known for its devoted sports fans and has a strong tradition of supporting its teams and players, Ohio-based teams have won only a handful of major championships in recent years, including the aforementioned Cleveland Cavaliers NBA title in 2016 and the Columbus Crew’s MLS Cup in 2020.

As of January 1, 2023, residents of Ohio are able to bet on the NBA through licensed sports betting platforms such as DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, PointsBet, and Bet365. Although the 2022–23 season is over, you can still look forward to betting on a young Cavaliers roster next season as they look to take it a step or two further behind Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley.

NFL betting is another exciting option for Ohioans as of 2023, with the next season looking like it could be a good one for both the Bengals and Browns. The Cincinnati Bengals will enter the 2023–24 season on the back of another impressive postseason run after falling short in the AFC Championship game in late January. Now, as we look ahead to the 2023–24 season, QB Joe Burrow is one of the favorites for the MVP (+700), while the Bengals themselves have the third-best Super Bowl odds with FanDuel at +900. The Cleveland Browns will be hoping that a full preseason with Deshaun Watson can see them back in the playoffs, with their current odds to go all the way sitting at a juicy +3500. Every major sportsbook offers an abundance of NFL betting options, to the delight of football fans in Ohio.

NCAA basketball offers another tantalizing option for sports bettors in Ohio, particularly with March Madness, perhaps the top betting event in all of American sports, coming around every year. Though Ohio is not known for NCAAB, the Buckeye State nonetheless consistently sends teams to the March Madness tournament: Ohio State, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Xavier are just a few of the collegiate basketball programs that have represented Ohio in March Madness in recent years.

Despite the plethora of professional sports teams that call Ohio home, by far the most consistently dominant team in the state is the Ohio State Buckeyes’ college football program. As a perennial contender for the college football National Championship for decades and, more recently, a perennial participant in the ultra-exclusive CFP National Championship Playoffs, in which just four teams participate nationwide, the Buckeyes have long brought pride to the state for which they are named.

Soccer betting went legal in Ohio just three years after the Columbus Crew’s MLS Championship in 2020. Additionally, Ohio soccer fans aren’t limited to wagering on the MLS but can enjoy betting options on the full spectrum of international soccer (a.k.a. “football”) options, from the English Premier League to Spanish La Liga, opening the door for wagers on the current clubs of household names like Neymar and Messi. When the FIFA World Cup comes to North America in 2026, it will provide yet another thrilling avenue for soccer fans to lay their wagers on the sport they love so dearly.

• May 2018: The Supreme Court revokes the federal ban on sports betting.
• December 8, 2021: Ohio lawmakers introduce House Bill 29, proposing legalized sports betting in Ohio, which passed in the Ohio Senate 31-1 and the Ohio House 72-12.
• December 22, 2021: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signs HB29 into law.
• January 1, 2023: Legal Sports betting goes live in Ohio.

In Ohio, the legal age for sports betting is 21. This means that anyone who wants to place a bet on a sporting event must be at least 21 years old. It is important to note that different states may have different age restrictions for sports betting, so it is always best to check the specific state’s regulations before placing a bet. Additionally, sportsbooks may have their own age restrictions, so it is always best to check with the sportsbook before placing a bet.

Ohio’s taxes on sports betting are fairly straightforward compared to many other states. Operators, which means the sportsbooks themselves, will be taxed at 10% of gross revenue. Individuals, which means sports bettors, will be taxed on proceeds from their sports wagers at the same graduated rates as Ohioans are taxed on all other forms of income.

OH only. 21+. New users and first wager only. Must register with eligible promo code. Bet amount of qualifying wager returned only if wager is settled as a loss.