Ohio Sports Betting Tops $4B in Wagers, DraftKings Leads July Tally

Posted on: September 5, 2023, 07:15h. 

Last updated on: September 6, 2023, 09:39h.

Craig Boswell Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Politics, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Regulation.

Sports betting became legal in Ohio on the first day of this year, and since then, Ohioans have placed more than $4 billion in bets.

Ohio statehouse
The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, above. Sports betting is off to a strong start in the state. (Image: Casino.org)

The Ohio Casino Control and Ohio Lottery Commissions released data from July, which is typically a slower summer month for wagering, and it was as well for Ohio. In fact, coming in at just under $332 million, July was the slowest month for sports wagering this year.

While the sports betting handle for the month was down 8.6% from June sports betting, taxes do not reflect that dip. That’s because, as reported by Casino.org, Ohio doubled its sports betting tax at the beginning of July from 10% to 20%.

Under the new tax law, the state generated $61.4 million in revenue.

In July, Ohio’s 18 betting apps brought in $320 million in bets. The state’s 14 physical betting lounges took in $11.5 million, and the lottery kiosks took in $847,000 in wagers.

For the first time since sports betting launched in Ohio in January, DraftKings took the top spot with $116.1 million. FanDuel handled $106.6 million as the second-most popular app in the state.

Gambling Establishments Ahead of the Game

So far, in 2023, casinos and racinos in Ohio have taken in $1.41 billion in gambling revenue. That’s up from $1.38 billion last year over the same period. The figures do not include revenues from the first seven months of legalized sports gambling.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission reports the state’s 11 casinos brought in a combined $203.5 million in July. The July number is down 2% compared to last year’s. Revenue is the amount kept by the gambling houses after paying out winnings, but it does not include state taxes and fees that have to be paid.

The state’s four casinos offering slot machines and table games brought in $86 million in gambling revenue. That is slightly down from the $88.7 million last year. The state’s seven racinos took in $117.5 million.

Responsible Gaming Education Month

As a part of the effort to legalize sports betting in Ohio, plans were put in place to funnel 2% of sports betting revenue into a Problem Sports Gaming Fund. So, since September is Responsible Gaming Education Month, it is interesting to note that the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio (PGNO) is gaining some national recognition for advocacy and rulemaking efforts.

The PGNO has been selected as a finalist in the 2023 American Gambling Awards for the Responsible Gaming category.

We are committed to the gambling support service system, and it is truly rewarding to be recognized for our contributions in this space,” said Derek Longmeier, executive director of PGNO.

According to the announcement by the PGNO, it has made significant contributions to protect players and expand the support service workforce.

Winners in the 11 award categories will be announced later in September.