Ohio Betting

Online sports betting is legal and well-established under the OCCC; bettors must be 21+ and in-state. Online horse-race ADW is unregulated and not expressly authorized but not prohibited (national racebooks serve residents) — grey market. On prediction markets Ohio is hostile: the OCCC treats Kalshi-style contracts as unlicensed sports wagering, issued cease-and-desist orders (March 2025) and a $5M fine notice to Kalshi (April 2026), with courts so far siding with the state — prohibited.

Ohio is one of the newest legal sportsbook states. Live and retail sports betting launched on January 1, 2023. There were 16 online sportsbook operators during the first month of action, which coincided with the Cincinnati Bengals’ NFL playoff run.

There are several ways to make a legal sports bet in Ohio. The easiest is using an online sportsbook or mobile app. The Ohio sports betting sites are compatible with all computers and mobile devices.

Ohio Online Sportsbooks

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The Ohio Casino Control Commission regulates all forms of sports betting in the state. Players must be at least 21 years old, be present in the state at the time of a bet, and not be on any self-exclusion lists. Geolocation is used to determine the location of the bettor. The login is rejected if it can’t locate the player within Ohio or another legal online sportsbook state. Geolocation prevents bets from jurisdictions where it is illegal.

Ohio Sports Betting Sites

Ohio licenses its online sportsbooks as type A sports gaming proprietors, and state law caps that category at 25 at any one time. Most are partnered with Ohio casinos, racinos, sports teams, stadiums, or other similar venues.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission publishes the current list of licensed online sportsbooks on its website.

That page updates with all changes in licensing, including when new betting apps are approved.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission regulates the entire Ohio sportsbook industry. This process includes running background checks on companies and key employees, drafting regulations on the types of bets accepted, locations of sportsbooks, approving software, and creating a dispute resolution process.

Online sports betting sites have been available in Ohio for over 20 years. The difference between those unregulated sites and the sportsbooks licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission is that the licensed ones must answer to gaming regulators. If there is a dispute about payment, policy, or grading of a bet, the Ohio Casino Control Commission holds an impartial hearing on the topic. The regulators weigh the evidence and rules to determine if the bettor or sportsbook has a case.

When Ohioans bet at offshore sites, there is no recourse. If the sportsbook does not pay or grades a bet wrong, its decision is final. That is why making sports bets at legal sites with proper regulation is so important.

Ohio Sports Betting Laws

Like when it legalized casinos, Ohio was behind most of its neighboring states in enacting legislation to regulate online sports betting. In December 2021, the Ohio Legislature passed HB29. It was quickly signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine.

The Ohio sports betting law created a tax rate of 10 percent, which the legislature doubled to 20 percent of sports gaming receipts effective July 2023. It permits up to 25 mobile betting licenses. There are three types of licenses. Type A covers online sports pools — the betting websites and mobile apps. Type B is for in-person sportsbooks at a single licensed sports gaming facility, such as a casino, racino or stadium. Type C licenses are for kiosks at businesses with a liquor license, like bars and package stores.

A type A (mobile) license costs $750,000 on issuance plus $187,500 in each of the following four years for a proprietor not contracting with more than one mobile management services provider, rising, for an initial licence, to $2,500,000 on issuance plus $625,000 a year for a proprietor contracting with two mobile management services providers. A type A proprietor must either also run a sports gaming facility under a type B license or keep at least one operational place of business in Ohio staffed by multiple employees.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission is the state's sports betting regulator. It runs suitability checks on all business applicants and major employees within the company. If a company is found suitable, a license is granted. The Ohio Casino Control Commission also handles player disputes and requires companies to hold funds in separate accounts from operations.

Ohio became the first state to push back against what the governor described as predatory language in bonus policies. For example, a promotion or bonus described as free may not require the bettor to put any of their own money at stake.

Ohio permits college betting. This includes wagers on in-state schools. Wagering is prohibited on primary and secondary school events, and events involving participants under 18 may be offered only if the Ohio Casino Control Commission authorizes them.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission demonstrates zero tolerance for advertising to underaged players. As a result, several major companies have faced fines for actions that regulators thought involved marketing to those under 21. Ohio law requires all sports bettors to be at least 21 years old.

PlayUp was denied an Ohio online sports betting license, at least temporarily, due to its Slots+ product. After the licensing issue was announced, the games were immediately pulled from the United States markets.

Regulators compiled a list of approved leagues and wagers in Ohio. There are over 100 different leagues available, including esports. There are several points a league or type of bet must meet to be offered by Ohio sportsbooks.