The opening month of Ohio sports betting was a historic one, with the second-highest first month handle in the nation’s history.
In total, the 16 Ohio betting apps that launched Jan. 1 took in $1,090,265,212 worth of wagers during the month, with retail and kiosk bets upping the state’s total to $1,114 billion.
Ohio’s gross gaming revenue between the three classifications of operators (mobile, retail and kiosks) was $209,037,382 for the month, which is nearly $60 million more than the previous national revenue record set by New York in January 2023.
Ohio operators claimed $319 million in promotional gaming credits in January. But unlike other states, operators in Ohio aren’t able to deduct the free bets and other promotional offers given to new customers from their taxable revenue until January 2027.
Here’s what you need to know about Ohio’s record-breaking sports betting haul, as well as the state’s casino and “racino” revenues during January.
January a Month to Remember
Of the 16 sportsbooks that launched during January in Ohio, the overwhelming leaders in handle and revenue were FanDuel Sportsbook Ohio and DraftKings Sportsbook Ohio.
The two national operators took in more than 65% of the state’s overall handle in January, with FanDuel leading the pack at $494,194,388, while DraftKings Sportsbook Ohio finished in second at $343,971,125.
No other Ohio sportsbook finished January with more than $100 million in handle, as BetMGM Sportsbook Ohio ($82,120,011), Barstool Sportsbook Ohio ($45,895,007) and Bet365 Ohio ($38,627,894) rounded out the top-five.
After that, Caesars Sportsbook Ohio ($31,494,714), Hard Rock Ohio ($20,722,305) and Tipico Ohio ($10,695,776) were the only other operators with more than $10 million in mobile sports betting handle during the month.
As far as Gross Gaming Revenues are concerned, FanDuel Sportsbook was the leader in the state during January at $103,247,149, followed by DraftKings Sportsbook ($55,100,733), BetMGM Sportsbook ($21,668,016), Bet365 ($8,430,180) and Caesars Sportsbook ($5,409,080).
States by January Sports Betting Handle
- New York: $1,799,048,366
- Ohio: $1,114,101,739
- New Jersey: $1,082,233,033
- Nevada: $935,792,553
- Pennsylvania: $772,289,648
Where Ohio’s Handle Ranks Nationally
Ohio’s sports betting handle for the first month of the year currently ranks second nationally, trailing New York ($1,799,048,366) and ahead of New Jersey ($1,082,233,033), with national power Illinois and perennial top 10 state Arizona yet to report.
Nevada came just short of clearing $1 billion in handle during January, finishing the month at $935,792,553, while Ohio’s eastern neighbor, Pennsylvania, had $772,289,648 in wagers.
Where the Buckeye State will wind up remains to be seen, as Illinois could challenge Ohio for that No. 2 ranking.
BetOhio.com is the place to be for Ohio sportsbook promo codes as the NCAA Tournament approaches, as well as the close of the NBA and NHL seasons.
Ohio Casinos, Racinos Up Slightly
January wasn’t just kind to Ohio’s sportsbooks, as the state’s casinos and racinos also got in on the game.
The state’s four casinos reported $86,070,358 in revenues during January, which was a 2.7% month-over-month increase from the $83,804,210 in the December Ohio revenue report.
The seven racinos combined to rake in $110,756,345 in January, up 1.4% from December’s total of $109,187,132.
The overall winner among the state’s casinos, in terms of market share during the month, was JACK Cleveland, which earned $22,978,684 during January, ahead of Hollywood Columbus ($22,652,595), Hard Rock Cincinnati ($21,720,127) and Hollywood Toledo ($18,718,952).
The state’s leading revenue generator among the seven racinos was MGM Northfield Park, which took in $24,427,112 during the month. Miami Valley Gaming ($19,429,826), Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs ($19,044,395), JACK Thistledown ($14,754,449), Hollywood Mahoning Valley ($13,612,016), Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway ($12,774,164) and Belterra Park ($6,714,383) rounded out the list.
