Ohio Handle, Revenue Rise Significantly Year-Over-Year in September

The Buckeye State’s online and retail sportsbooks combined to generate $864.3 million, third-most since wagering went live in January 2023. 

Brad Senkiw - News Editorat Covers.com
Brad Senkiw • News Editor
Nov 1, 2024 • 16:07 ET • 4 min read
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Ohio’s sports betting market grew substantially year-over-year in September while the year-to-date handle reached $6 billion. 

The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported a monthly handle of $864.3 million during the first full month of football season. The amount wagered at online and retail sportsbooks rose 25% compared to September 2023 and was the third-highest handle since wagering went live in January 2023.

The gross revenue in September also jumped 30% year-over-year to $106.2 million, joining January as the only two months in 2024 to reach $100 million in profit. Online operators spent a combined $47.7 million on promotional bets.

The 12.3% hold for sports betting operators was up nearly a half point year-over-year and more than three points higher than August. With the NFL and college football in full swing, September’s hold jumped 57.5% while revenue increased a whopping 117.7% from August’s few days of college football and the entire NFL preseason.       

Tax revenue rises

The Buckeye State filled its coffers with $21.3 million in September. That’s more than double August’s $9.8 million and nearly $5 million more year-over-year. 

Ohio surpassed $125 million in tax revenue for 2024, and the $129.8 million is up 50.4% from this time last year.              

Majority hits double digits 

Operator September Handle Gross Revenue
DraftKings $308.7 million  $37.5 million 
FanDuel $276 million   $39.1 million  
bet365 $68 million  $7.6 million
BetMGM $52.4 million  $5.6 million
Fanatics Sportsbook $35.6 million  $3.6 million 
Caesars $29.2 million  $2.6 million 

Online sports betting accounted for $842.4 million of Ohio’s total handle and nearly $103 million of the September revenue. Nine of the 14 sportsbooks recorded double-digit holds for the month. 

DraftKings led all mobile operators with a $308.7 million handle while FanDuel finished second at $276 million. FanDuel enjoyed a higher hold, winning 14.2% of wagers to produce a state-best $39.1 million. Behind a 12.1% hold, DraftKings reached $37.5 million, more than double August’s haul.

bet365 took home third place with a $68 million handle while BetMGM was the only other operator over $50 million. 

Fanatics Sportsbook finished with $35.6 million in wagers while Caesars took in $29.2 million, about $500,000 more than ESPN BET. Hard Rock Bet and Prime Sports also reached $10 million in handle during September.         

New to the mix

Betr completed its first full month of operating a traditional sportsbook in the Buckeye State. After generating $179,546 during its soft launch in late August, Betr took in $614,496 in September, finishing 12th in Ohio ahead of only betPARX and Betly.  

Adjusted revenue for the newcomer that’s been primarily a microbetting and DFS operator fell nearly $10,000 shy of $100,000. 

The crowded sports betting state will have more company soon as Prague-based sportsbook Oddin.gg recently received a sports betting license from the Ohio Casino Control Commission.  

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Brad Senkiw - Covers
News Editor

Brad has been covering sports betting and iGaming industry news for Covers since 2023. He writes about a wide range of topics, including sportsbook insights, proposed legislation, regulator decision-making, state revenue reports, and online sports betting launches. Brad reported heavily on North Carolina’s legal push for and creation of online sportsbooks, appearing on numerous Tar Heel State radio and TV news shows for his insights.

Before joining Covers, Brad spent over 15 years as a reporter and editor, covering college sports for newspapers and websites while also hosting a radio show for seven years.

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