The Buckeye State turned the legal sports betting summer doldrums corner in August with an increase in handle and revenue, setting Ohio up nicely for a profitable football season to come.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported an August handle of $378.8 million — up 14.4% from July. NFL preseason and early college football games helped drive bettors to online betting sites and retail wagering.
Revenue for August jumped a more modest 10% to reach $40.8 million, marking the first time this summer the revenue was above $40 million.
Operators paid out $8.1 million for the 20% tax rate to the Buckeye state, which is up from July’s $7.4 million.
DraftKings stays king
For the first time in Ohio sports betting history, DraftKings was the top operator in terms of handle for two consecutive months. The online sportsbook overtook FanDuel in July and did it again in August with a handle of $133.8 million. DraftKings handed out over $4.7 million in promotional bets, finishing with a taxable revenue of $12.6 million.
FanDuel was second in the Buckeye State with a handle of $115.8, with an impressive hold of 13.2% leading to revenue of $15.3 million — tops in the state.
bet365’s handle of $27.6 million edged out BetMGM ($26.5 million) for third place, while Caesars finished fourth with wagers of $17.9 million. Barstool ($12.5 million) was the only other operator with a handle over $10 million in Ohio.
Fab five
Hollywood Columbus led all retail sportsbooks with a handle of $2.8 million, with five others also landing of $1 million. MGM Northfield Park at $1.99 million was second, just ahead of Hard Rock Cincinnati’s $1.87 million.
Jack Cleveland, Jack Thistledown, and Caesars at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ site were the three other brick-and-mortar shops over seven figures.
