Ohio has established itself as one of the most lucrative sports betting markets in the U.S. and broke the $1 billion handle barrier for the second time.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission’s (OCCC) latest figures for November 2024 show that Buckeye State operators took $1.03 billion in bets, just the second month in which the amount wagered in the state has hit 10 digits.
The November 2024 handle trails only the state’s promo-laden first month of operation, January 2023, which pulled in $1.13 billion in wagers, a good chunk of which was comprised of promotional credits.
This year’s November handle, which was up 18.5% from November 2023’s $864 million, yielded the second-largest monthly gross revenue (more than $117 million) and the second-biggest tax windfall ($23.5 million) for the state since sports betting went live. That revenue figure was up a huge 72.5% year over year.
Online betting makes up the vast majority of handle, revenue and tax revenue.
With just one month of last year left to report, Ohio sportsbooks have taken nearly $850 million and paid almost $170 million in tax to the state in 2024. All-time, Ohio bettors have laid down more than $15 billion on sports in less than two years.
Up to and including November reporting, Ohio’s full-year 2024 handle of nearly $8 billion is the fourth-highest of all online sports betting states, behind only the behemoths of New York, New Jersey and Illinois.
bet365 sits third, one of many sportsbooks to set new high
Eleven of Ohio’s 15 mobile operators saw their revenue increase month over month. FanDuel still leads the way with $351.1 million in handle and $46.5 million in gross revenue, ahead of DraftKings’ $329.9 million and $37.9 million.
bet365, partnered with the Cleveland Guardians, had its biggest month ever in Ohio, taking $76.6 million in bets. That was good enough for a podium finish ahead of BetMGM’s $72.3 million.
Fanatics’ growth continued as the brand recorded its own personal best in Ohio with $54.6 million in handle. That put it ahead of Caesars ($35.2 million) and ESPN Bet ($32.3 million).
As well bet365 and Fanatics, four other sportsbooks also set their own new all-time monthly records for Ohio handle. Hard Rock took $23.3 million, betJACK reported $7.8 million, BetRivers posted $5.6 million and Bally Bet reported $4.7 million.
