Ohio launched legal sports betting on January 1, 2023, with 16 online sportsbooks going live on the same day, the biggest simultaneous launch in the country. Online sportsbooks are licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission as Type A proprietors.
What makes Ohio different is who holds the licenses: pro teams like the Browns, Guardians and Blue Jackets sit alongside casinos and racinos. You need to be 21 or older and physically in Ohio to bet.
Here’s every online sportsbook currently operating in Ohio, the license partner behind it and how the apps rate.
How we list and rank sportsbooks
We start from the state regulator’s own list of licensed online sportsbooks, so every brand on this page is legal where it’s listed. We then order the apps by popularity: how many people have rated each one on the US App Store, alongside its average score. “Top” on Locals Insider means the most popular and most used apps, not a paid placement.
Offers only appear for brands we work with, and every term comes from the operator’s own rules. If we can’t confirm a detail on an official page, it doesn’t go in.
Is online sports betting legal in Ohio? Yes, through Type A sportsbooks licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
- Minimum age: 21
- Launch date: January 1, 2023
- Online sportsbooks operating: 13
- Online casino: Not legal in Ohio
- Also available: Ohio Lottery sports gaming terminals at licensed bars and restaurants
- Where you can bet: Only while physically inside Ohio; apps check your location before every bet.
Licensed Online Sportsbooks in Ohio (13)
These are the 13 online sportsbooks the Commission’s September 2026 list shows as currently operating, ordered by how many people use and rate each app. In brackets is the Ohio license partner.
FanDuel Sportsbook OH – same-game parlays and live betting
Licensed through: Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley
FanDuel runs its Ohio sportsbook as a mobile management services provider for Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley in Youngstown. Its app is the most-rated in the US, with more than 2.3 million ratings at 4.84.
In Ohio it’s a sportsbook-only app, because online casino isn’t legal.
DraftKings Sportsbook OH – daily odds boosts and same-game parlays
Licensed through: Hollywood Casino Toledo
DraftKings holds its Ohio access through Hollywood Casino Toledo. The app averages 4.82 from about 1.37 million ratings.
Toledo bettors close to the Michigan line should know the app switches to Michigan’s rules, including its online casino, once you cross.
Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook OH – Unity by Hard Rock rewards
Licensed through: Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
Hard Rock Bet is the online partner of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati. Its app has a 4.86 average from about 363,000 ratings, the highest score among Ohio’s books.
New Ohio customers get 10 × 100% Profit Boost Tokens through our link, with no promo code needed.
bet365 Sportsbook OH – sharp odds and in-play betting
Licensed through: Cleveland Guardians
bet365’s Ohio license comes through the Cleveland Guardians. Its app averages 4.78 from about 361,000 ratings.
Fanatics Sportsbook OH – FanCash rewards on your bets
Licensed through: Columbus Blue Jackets
Fanatics Sportsbook partners with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The app averages 4.83 from nearly 296,000 ratings and ties into the Fanatics shopping account.
BetMGM Sportsbook OH – MGM Rewards and deep player props
Licensed through: MGM Northfield Park
BetMGM operates through MGM Northfield Park, the racino between Cleveland and Akron. It averages 4.75 from more than 261,000 ratings and links to MGM Rewards.
theScore Bet Sportsbook OH – a simple app tied to theScore
Licensed through: Hollywood Casino Columbus
theScore Bet runs under PENN Entertainment’s license at Hollywood Casino Columbus. Its app averages 4.83 from about 224,000 ratings.
Caesars Sportsbook OH – Caesars Rewards on every bet
Licensed through: Scioto Downs
Caesars Sportsbook partners with Scioto Downs, the racino south of Columbus. The app averages 4.74 from about 117,000 ratings.
BetRivers Sportsbook OH – iRush Rewards and steady boosts
Licensed through: Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway
BetRivers operates in Ohio through Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway. Its app averages 4.85 from about 53,000 ratings.
Bally Bet Sportsbook OH – Bally Rewards
Licensed through: Cleveland Browns
Bally Bet holds its Ohio license through the Cleveland Browns. The app averages 4.56 from about 53,000 ratings.
betJACK Sportsbook OH
Licensed through: JACK Cleveland Casino
betJACK is the in-house online sportsbook of JACK Cleveland Casino downtown, a local option for Northeast Ohio bettors.
Prime Sportsbook OH
Licensed through: SPIRE Institute
Prime Sportsbook is licensed through the SPIRE Institute, the sports academy in Geneva, Ohio. It’s a small independent book rather than a national brand.
Ember Sportsbook OH
Licensed through: Miami Valley Gaming
Ember is the online sportsbook tied to Miami Valley Gaming, the racino between Cincinnati and Dayton, operated by Gamewise.
Ohio Sportsbook Apps Compared
| App | Licensed through | Online casino (same brand) | iOS rating (ratings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Valley | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.84 (2,315,931) |
| DraftKings | Hollywood Casino Toledo | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.82 (1,369,715) |
| Hard Rock Bet | Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.86 (363,024) |
| bet365 | Cleveland Guardians | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.78 (360,739) |
| Fanatics | Columbus Blue Jackets | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.83 (295,868) |
| BetMGM | MGM Northfield Park | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.75 (261,271) |
| theScore Bet | Hollywood Casino Columbus | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.83 (224,319) |
| Caesars | Scioto Downs | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.74 (117,111) |
| BetRivers | Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.85 (53,216) |
| Bally Bet | Cleveland Browns | No (not legal in Ohio) | 4.56 (52,827) |
Ratings are US App Store averages and rating counts, checked November 2026. betJACK, Prime Sportsbook and Ember are local apps without a checked US App Store rating, so they’re listed above but not in the table.
Ohio Sportsbook Promo Codes
Offers for Locals Insider readers. We list offers only for brands we work with; other licensed sportsbooks run their own welcome offers, which you’ll see in their apps.
Hard Rock Bet · Sports betting
10 × 100% Profit Boost Tokens
Terms: 21+, new customers only, physically located in AZ, FL, IL, IN, OH, TN or VA. $5 minimum deposit; $50 maximum bet per token. Applied when you sign up through our link. T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-MY-RESET.
21+. New customers only. Must be physically located in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-MY-RESET.
How to Sign Up at a Ohio Sportsbook
- Check the brand is licensed. Use the list above or the Ohio Casino Control Commission website, and skip any app that isn’t on it.
- Download the official app. Get it from the App Store or Google Play, or sign up on the operator’s site, while you’re in Ohio.
- Verify your identity. You’ll enter your legal name, date of birth, address and the last digits of your Social Security number, and you must be 21 or older.
- Turn on location services. The app confirms you’re physically inside Ohio before every bet, even if you live there.
- Set your limits, then deposit. Add deposit and time limits first, then fund the account with a card, bank transfer or another method the app accepts.
How Ohio’s Sports Betting Market Works
Ohio launched sports betting on January 1, 2023, and every online sportsbook works through an Ohio host, from casinos and racinos to pro teams. bet365 runs through the Cleveland Guardians, Fanatics through the Columbus Blue Jackets and Bally Bet through the Cleveland Browns, while FanDuel partners with Belterra Park and DraftKings with Hollywood Toledo (Ohio Casino Control Commission). Sportsbook receipts are taxed at 20%, and from 2027 operators can start deducting part of the promotional credits their customers bet (Ohio Department of Taxation).
Recent Changes in Ohio
theScore Bet, the former ESPN Bet, now takes bets in Ohio under its new name. In Ohio it works through Hollywood Casino Columbus.
Betting on Ohio Teams
Ohio splits its loyalties between Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus, with the Browns and Bengals, the Guardians and Reds, the Cavaliers, the Blue Jackets, the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati. Several of those teams also hold Ohio sportsbook licenses.
Ohio Sports Betting Taxes
Winnings are taxable income. A sportsbook withholds 24% for federal tax when a payout, minus your stake, is more than $5,000 and at least 300 times the wager, and reports it on Form W-2G (IRS). From 2026 you can deduct only 90% of your gambling losses, and only if you itemize, capped at what you won (IRS Form W-2G).
Ohio’s income tax is a flat 2.75% on income above $26,050 from 2026. Sportsbooks withhold 2.75% from winnings that have to be reported to the IRS, and anyone who wins on sports betting in Ohio, resident or visitor, must report those winnings to the state (Ohio Department of Taxation).
This is general information, not tax advice; a tax professional can look at your own situation.
Tips for Betting in Ohio
- Bet from inside Ohio. Cincinnati borders Kentucky and Indiana, and Toledo borders Michigan. Each of those states licenses its own apps, so your bet follows the state you’re standing in.
- Know your bar option. Besides apps, the Ohio Lottery runs sports gaming terminals at licensed bars and restaurants.
- Stick to the Commission’s list. Only operators licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission can take online bets in the state.
- Use the statewide tools. Ohio’s Time Out program lets you exclude yourself from all licensed sports gaming in the state, and every app offers its own limits.
Ohio Sportsbooks FAQ
Thirteen are currently operating, according to the Commission’s September 2026 list: FanDuel, DraftKings, Hard Rock Bet, bet365, Fanatics, BetMGM, theScore Bet, Caesars, BetRivers, Bally Bet, betJACK, Prime Sportsbook and Ember.
January 1, 2023, when 16 online sportsbooks, 13 retail sportsbooks and kiosks at bars all launched on the same day.
Ohio lets pro teams, casinos, racinos and some sports venues hold Type A licenses, and each online sportsbook operates under one of those license holders.
No. Ohio allows online sports betting, but online casino games aren’t legal.
Yes. New customers who sign up through our link get 10 × 100% Profit Boost Tokens, with a $50 maximum bet per token and no code needed.
Bet with a plan. Set deposit and time limits before your first bet, and never chase losses; every licensed sportsbook offers cool-off periods and self-exclusion. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET, the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline.
More Sportsbook Guides
- US sportsbooks hub: every state page, offers and reviews
- Sports betting apps compared: how the national apps stack up
- Other states: New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona, Tennessee
- Prediction markets: event trading under federal rules
