"Bet with Fan Duel for some of the best promos available online - you can place same game parlays, and take part in weekly competitions like NFL Gridiron Pick'em"
New Customer Offer 21+ and present in AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA (permitted parishes only), MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, or WY. FanDuel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino, LLC. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MI, NJ, OH, PA, IL, TN, VA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-522-4700 (WY), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV). 21+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
"With a variety of banking options, promotional offers and an extensive selection of markets, BetMGM is one of the nation’s stand out sportsbook operators. "
New Customer Offer Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game. If that bet loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM. This Sports Promotion is open to new users who, at the time of wagering, are located in a state or jurisdiction in which the Promoter (as defined below) offers online sports wagering services, are at least 21 years old, are not on an exclusion or self-exclusion list, and who during the Promotional Period both (a) make a first deposit of at least ten dollars ($10.00 21+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
"The premier fantasy sports operator has the best mobile sportsbook app out there, offering a smooth and seamless experience no matter where you're located "
New Customer Offer Upon completion of the promotion requirements, qualified customers will receive $200 in Bonus Bets instantly, or in the event of technical difficulties within 72 business hours. Additionally, once your bet settles you will receive any cash winnings from your Qualifying Bet if it wins. Bonus Bets will be issued as eight (8) $25 Bonus Bets. Maximum $200 in Bonus Bets awarded. 21+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
"Sign up to Caesars and get Caesars Rewards for wagering on sports through the mobile app - you can even cash them in at one of the brick and mortar casinos."
New Customer Offer Must be 21 or older and physically present in New York. New users only. Must register using eligible promo code. First bet after registration must qualify. Max. Bonus Bet: $1,000. Bonus Bet expires 14 days after receipt. Void where prohibited. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Read More 21+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
"Pointsbet is home to a bunch of parlay specials - same game parlays, in-play parlays and parlay booster. Plus, no rollover requirements on free bets."
New Customer Offer Get up to five $100 Bonus Bets with PointsBet’s Second Chance! “Second Chance” means that if any of your first 5 cash bets (first bet per day for 5 consecutive days) on a Fixed Odds market loses, you will receive Bonus Bet(s) in the amount of the losing wager(s), up to $100 each. Your Second Chances start the day you place your first cash bet (e.g., if you open an Account on Monday and place your first cash bet on Tuesday, you are eligible for a Second Chance each day Tuesday through Saturday that same week). If your first Fixed Odds cash bet of the day wins, you are not eligible for the Bonus Bet. If you do not place a bet during any of those 5 days, you will lose the Second Chance opportunity for that day(s), and your Second Chance opportunity will not be extended beyond the 5th day. Offer not available in all states. See below for more details. 21+. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
🏆 Best Overall Score:
93%
🎁 Largest Free Bet:
$1499
🤝 Highest Deposit Match:
100%
💵 Minimum Deposit:
$5
Reviews of the Best Ohio Betting Sites
One of the most popular sportsbook across the country, FanDuel offers online casino, horse race betting, sportsbook and daily fantasy sports betting. When I first logged into the site, I was pleased with how clear the layout is – many sites try to overload you with information as soon as you reach the homepage but I didn’t feel too overwhelmed with FanDuel. There’s a great selection of promotions available, including a No Sweat First Bet up to $1000 for new customers – this allows you to claim your first bet back if you end in a loss. There’s also odds boosts, cashbacks and same day parlays available for existing customers.
It was easy to make a live bet on a game and I was pleased to be able to live stream the match at the same time. For inexperienced bettors there’s a super helpful 101 Learn to Bet tab on the left hand side – this outlines a few tips that might make choosing a bet a little easier. All in all a great site.
Pros:
Helpful page on how to bet
Live streaming and in-play bets available
Decent amount of payment methods including two e-wallets
Cons:
A rewards program for existing customers would be a great addition
Taking on the popular dark background, the DraftKings site is nice and clear once you’re on your chosen sport’s odds page. I liked the pop up bet slip on the right hand side as it was easy to track the odds and make my choice of bet at the same time.
There’s a great range of sports available, plus a decent availability for in-play betting too. At the time of writing the only e-sport available was a Call of Duty league but this will change throughout the year as more tournaments come and go. I had a go at betting via the app as I’d heard some great things about it and was not disappointed. The layout is almost better than on desktop and it was super easy to navigate the pages as you would on a larger screen. I highly recommend downloading this if DraftKings is your favorite Ohio sportsbook.
Pros:
Great app that's easy to download and clear to use
Well laid out site - there's a lot of information on there but it doesn't feel cluttered
Great range of sports and individual tournaments available
Cons:
Short time limit of seven days on the welcome bonus free bets
Contrary to the ever popular darker themed sites, BetMGM opts for an almost white background to its sportsbook, listing all available sports down the left in alphabetical order. Again, another well laid out and clear site, I found it easy to locate everything I needed. I wasn’t so thrilled with the promotions. Aside from reems of MGM Rewards, there’s only two that focus on sports betting – a refer a friend and a money back on your first bet offer. Nevertheless, these are both decent promotions, especially the money back offer that goes up to $1000 on your first bet if it’s a loss. We can’t not mention the detail within the MGM Rewards as it’s pretty immense. Gather up points and exchange them for MGM Resort discounts, Formula 1 track experiences, tickets to music events and much more.
Pros:
Large amount of markets to bet on
Great site design and layout
24/7 customer service available
Cons:
Needs a few more sportsbook-focused promotions
How We Review
How We Review the Best Ohio Betting Site
We know how difficult it can be choosing the best betting site in Ohio, so we hope our reviews are of use to you in your decision making. When reviewing, we always follow a strict criteria so what exactly do we look for? Let’s go through some of the most important factors on our check list.
Licensing
We will never review a site that hasn’t been licensed so you can rest assured all the operators we recommend have been licensed and audited according to state law. It’s important never to bet at an unlicensed site as you can’t be sure what you’re letting yourself in for. Licensing requirements are pretty strict so by sticking to a licensed site you can at least feel confident that they’re held to decent standards of fairness and safety.
Betting Markets
Of course, we’re at these sites to bet on our favorite sports so within our reviews, we like to make sure there’s a decent range of availability. Aside from the most popular sports, it’s nice to see a range of niche sports for those who enjoy something a little different – not everyone wants football and hockey, so the best sites provide a range including the likes of cornhole and handball.
Site Design and User Experience
There’s nothing more frustrating when you’re trying to place a bet than a site that keeps glitching or one that’s so overloaded with information you can’t find what you’re looking for. During our reviews, we check for things like easy navigation and clear instructions – extra bonus points for impressive graphics and a unique style.
Promotions and Offers
All of the best Ohio betting sites will offer something to new customers – usually a money back deal or a handful of free bets. While this is great, we like to see a few promotions aimed at existing customers and an occasional change up to what’s available in order to keep things fresh and interesting.
Mobile Capabilities
Most people like to bet via mobile devices so it’s important a site functions well on the small screen. Many of the best betting sites are creating native apps that can be downloaded onto your cell phone – these often carry additional benefits like speedy log ins, and even app-specific promotional offers.
Customer Service
When something goes wrong with your account or the site in general, it’s important that your betting site provides an effective customer support service. We’d expect there to be at least one channel of communication available 24/7 – usually live chat. In addition, you usually find email, FAQs, social media handles and a telephone line available.
Ohio Gambling Laws
Ohio Gambling Laws
It is now legal to bet on sports in the state of Ohio. Gov Mike DeWine signed the state’s sports betting bill, HB 29, into law on December 22 2021 and one year on, on 1 January 2023, sports betting was made legal in both bricks and mortar settings as well as online with the likes of BetMGM, BetRivers and FanDuel.
Lottery
Of course, online sports betting isn’t the only type of gambling you can enjoy in the Buckeye State. The Ohio Lottery sells tickets for Powerball, Mega Millions, Lucky for Life, and a number of other draw games.
Casino
Casinos were prohibited in Ohio until 2009, when voters opted to legalize them to keep potential gambling revenue within state borders. Ohioans can bet at four land-based casinos:
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
Hollywood Casino Columbus
Hollywood Casino Toledo
Jack Cleveland Casino
And seven ‘racinos’ offering horse race betting and a range of casino games:
Belterra Park Cincinnati
Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway
Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course
Jack Thistledown Racino
MGM Northfield Park
Miami Valley Gaming
Minimum Gambling Age in Ohio
You must be at least 18 years old to take part in the state lottery and horse race betting in Ohio. You must be at least 21 to play at a land-based casino or to bet on sports.
Gambling Tax in Ohio
For bettors in Ohio, gambling winnings are treated as taxable income like any other. You’ll also have to pay federal tax on your wins of 24%.
Casino operators are taxed at 33%. Revenue from online sports betting are taxed at 10%.
Betting Markets
Sports to Bet on in Ohio
The best Ohio sportsbooks offer a top range of betting markets — whether it’s the most popular sports in the world like soccer and tennis, national favorites like basketball and football, or smaller sports such as badminton. Below, you’ll find some guidance on the top sports to bet on in Ohio.
NFL
The Super Bowl is one of the most watched sporting events in the world, and its popularity only stands to increase — thanks in part to the spectacle of the halftime show. And here at home, football remains the number one sport by broadcast viewership.
The National Football League sees 32 teams from around the country come together in an epic clash for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Each team plays 17 matches in the regular season between September and January, so there’s plenty of action to bet on.
Super Bowl LVI was a hot contest between the previous champions, Ohio’s own Cincinnati Bengals, and the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams clinched the win with a final score of 23–20.
NBA
Among a wealth of top-class basketball played across the globe, the NBA stands as the premier league of the sport. Fast-paced and often chaotic, this sport offers some of the best prop betting opportunities thanks to the smaller teams.
The NBA regular season is made up of 30 teams, with each playing 82 games between October and April. The top eight from the eastern and western conferences progress to the best-of-seven playoffs until only two remain. The final match sees the victor lifting the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
The Cleveland Cavaliers represent Ohio in the NBA. Their only Championship win was in 2016, when series MVP LeBron James led the team to victory over the Golden State Warriors and in turn ended the infamous Cleveland sports curse.
NHL
Disregarded by some for its brutal gameplay, and lauded by others for its finesse and creativity, hockey is one of North America’s top sports. The NHL is considered the top ranked ice hockey league in the world, and is certain to deliver heart-stopping action every year in the contest for the Stanley Cup.
Each of the 32 teams plays 82 games in the regular season before the top 16 progress to the playoffs, leaving plenty of chances to bet on the NHL.
Ohio is represented by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL. Sadly, they’re yet to lift the trophy.
Horse Racing
Nothing beats the thrill of the races, as the horses and their riders thunder down the track towards the finish. The global calendar for horse racing is jam-packed with betting opportunities, whether it’s top domestic races like the Kentucky Derby, or some of the highest caliber of international racing like the UK’s Grand National.
Ohio bettors looking to get their feet wet can try a win, place, or each-way bet, while those seeking bigger potential rewards may want to give a system bet a go — Trixie, Heinz, and Yankee bets are popular, or why not come up with your own horse racing parlay?
Golf
America has undoubtedly produced some of the world’s top golfers, and Ohio bettors can wager on many of the sport’s top events at our recommended sportsbooks. The 2022–23 PGA Tour will be in full swing from September, but there are plenty of other events to look forward to.
The Ryder Cup, the Masters, and the US Open are some of North America’s most prestigious golfing competitions. Across the pond, the Open Championship takes place at St Andrews, Scotland every summer.
Tennis
With all-time greats like the Williams sisters, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi representing the US over the years, it comes as no surprise that tennis has a feverish following across the country. Ohio bettors can wager on a fantastic range of matches — the four Grand Slam tournaments of the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open are the biggest events in the tennis calendar.
It’s an exciting time to get involved in the sport as well. As Nadal and Djokovic edge towards retirement — presumably, at some point — it’s only a matter of time before a power struggle emerges in the upper echelons of the sport. The chance for upset means there could be some intriguing opportunities for the savviest bettors.
Bet Types
Betting Formats in Ohio
The best Ohio sportsbooks don’t just cover a wide range of sports; there’s also plenty of different bet types you can make. Here’s a quick rundown of some popular options and how they work.
Moneyline
Moneyline bets are probably the simplest wager you can make. When you place a moneyline bet, you’re usually backing a team to win a match against another. These bets are represented with moneyline odds, also called American odds.
Say the Cavaliers are to play the Los Angeles Lakers. The odds might be:
Cavaliers +200
Lakers -150
The Lakers are the favorite to win, with a bet of $150 yielding $100. The Cavaliers are the underdog and a $100 bet wins $200 if they prevail.
In some sports, you’ll find three-way moneylines as the standard where a draw is the third option to bet on. These bets are found in sports where a draw is likely to occur, such as soccer.
Parlays
Parlays, also known as accumulators or accas, are multi-leg bets where you chain together multiple wagers. They’re favored by bettors looking to make a larger profit from a smaller stake, as the payout is based on the combined odds of each leg. The more legs you place in your parlay, the greater the potential reward.
Here’s a quick example of a three-leg parlay on horse racing:
Horse A to win Race 1 at odds of +150
Horse B to win Race 2 at odds of -100
Horse C to win Race 3 at odds of +75
If all three bets come good, a $10 stake would pay out $77.50 in profit. Parlays are an exciting way to shift the risk-reward balance, and you can often add parlay insurance to your wager to protect yourself from a single leg failing.
Point Spreads
If you’d like to back a particular team to win but want to add an extra dimension to the wager, point spreads could be the answer. With these bets, whether you win or lose depends on the margin of the result.
Take the September 11 Bengals vs Steelers match as an example. The point spread is 6.5, and the Bengals are favorite to win:
Steelers +6.5
Bengals -6.5
This means the Bengals need to win by at least 7 points to cover the spread. Conversely, if the Steelers can win the game or lose by 7 points or less, bets on this outcome will succeed.
Prop Bets
Prop bets are more speculative in nature and are bets placed on a particular event occurring within a match, rather than on the final outcome. They’re popular in a number of sports and you’ll find a wide range of markets covering the minutiae of each game.
You can expect to find betting options like passing, rushing, or receiving yards for football; points, rebounds, and assists for basketball; and goals, corners, and yellow cards for soccer. There might even be opportunities to bet on trivial aspects of a match, such as the color of Gatorade a team will drink!
Mobile Betting
Mobile Betting in Ohio
Sports betting launched in Ohio on January 1 2023. Some of the country’s top sportsbooks have already received their mobile betting licenses, so Ohioans are now able to bet with names like BetMGM, FanDuel, and DraftKings.
These operators usually offer native betting apps which can be downloaded onto iOS and Android mobile devices. You’ll get on-the-go access to top sports betting markets, betting bonuses and promotions, and handy features like push notifications to keep you up to date with the latest odds.
Betting Site Security
Safety and Security at Ohio Betting Sites
The OCCC licensing requirements set out a number of measures Ohio betting sites must take in order to protect players. For example, all data must be encrypted to prevent theft and protect customer information. There are also requirements around sports betting bonuses, and promotion rules must be set out clearly.
Operators must adhere to a number of responsible gambling requirements, including participation in the Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP). This allows players to exclude themselves from all gambling activities in the state through one simple system.
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Compare the Best Ohio Betting Sites with Compare.bet
Sports betting in Ohio has been live since January 1 2023. Why not get to know what’s going on in the state by reading our detailed guide more of our detailed expert guides? We’ve reviewed top sportsbooks and betting bonuses to make your choice easy.
All genuine betting sites must be licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. These licenses ensure the operator meets requirements around player protection and safety. It’s important never to bet at an unlicensed site as your details are not protected, nor can you be certain they aren’t engaging in any number of financial crimes.
The people behind this page
Compare.bet's online gambling content experts helped write, edit and check the content on this page:
Alice is an Editor for Compare.bet and has several years experience of writing for the gambling and gaming industry. She has a particular interest in legislation and the promotion of safer gambling measures.
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