- Sportsbooks: The importance of them when placing bets
- How we choose the best Ohio sportsbooks
- Best Ohio sportsbook bonuses
- Most popular sports to bet on in Ohio
- What sports leagues can I bet on in Ohio?
- What payment options are available on Ohio sportsbooks?
- Is online sports betting legal in Ohio?
- US legal state betting
- Best Ohio betting sites FAQs
Sportsbooks: The importance of them when placing bets
The beauty of online/mobile wagering is that you can place your bets on who you want, when you want, all with a few taps of your screen.
Licensed sportsbooks have been approved by the Ohio Casino Control Commission for a number of reasons, but ensuring the safety of their customers, while offering a quality betting experience, is high up on the list.
You can wager with complete confidence using any sportsbook you see listed in this article. Each has enjoyed success across America and, in some cases, the world.
How we choose the best Ohio sportsbooks
What makes the best Ohio sportsbooks stand out from the competition? Take a look at the criteria we use to narrow down our short list of the top three online sports betting sites in OH:
- User experience
- Safety and security
- Competitiveness of odds
- The generosity of bonuses/promotions
- Customer support
We've thoroughly explored the fantastic features and bet options on these sportsbooks. We've tested their website or app to identify the top platforms available.
Bonus offers
When you join a new sportsbook, you often get a welcome offer like bet credits or a deposit match. We look at this when selecting sportsbooks. But we also check what rewards are available for existing customers to make sure all bettors, not just new ones, get something out of it.
Betting odds
Your success in sports betting is linked to taking the best value odds as often as you can, and so our review criteria includes the prices offered by each sportsbook.
Although it’s rare that a single sportsbook will offer the best value across the board, the best Ohio betting sites are those that are competitively priced more often than not for the key sports and bet types.
User experience
Ohio sportsbooks should be easy to navigate and find your favorite sports and markets, and then it should be easy to place your bets too. That’s especially the case for those that prefer live betting.
The very best Ohio sportsbook are the ones that put themselves in your shoes to make it simpler to place bets quickly on their website or app. They've went ahead and cleared away any hurdles so you can wager with speed and ease.
Safety and security
It’s vital that any online/mobile platform you share your personal data with keeps your information safe and secure.
We've delved deep into the privacy safeguards put in place by all sportsbooks in Ohio to guarantee the protection of your info. Our focus was on sportsbooks that make security a top priority, utilizing cutting-edge secure servers, advanced encryption tech, and extra security perks. We give major props to sportsbooks that value user safety, including strict login methods like two-factor authentication. Your peace of mind matters to us, and we make sure to highlight platforms that take security seriously.
Betting apps
A lot of bettors these days use a dedicated app to access their favorite sportsbooks. So we've taken the time to examine the ones you can find in Ohio and make sure they're up to the job.
From user experience and security to speed and features, we only recommend the best Ohio sportsbooks that have developed a quality app to sit alongside their online betting site.
Customer support
It’s natural for people to overlook customer support until they really need it, at which point it becomes incredibly important.
We have assessed each betting site in turn and found that the best OH sportsbooks are those which offer efficient and friendly service across a wide range of hours. If you have issues with a payment or a bet, those can be resolved quickly and amicably.
Betting features
The best Ohio sports betting sites are those that offer a range of features that add value to your betting experience.
From live streaming and comprehensive stats, to cash-out and unique bet types like Same Game Parlay, our favored Ohio sportsbooks are those that offer you tools and features that go beyond the standard wagering setup.
How To Sign Up With A Sportsbook
Everything You Need To Know In 5 Easy Steps!
Use the "Register Here" button in the header of this Oddspedia Operator Review Page to go to the bookmaker's site.
Locate the "Create Account/Sign Up/Register” button on the home page and click on it.
Complete the registration form by inputting valid information such as Name, DOB, E-mail etc.*It is critical to use valid info for verification procedures for the account setup and withdrawing funds at a later date
Wait for the email validation and take the designated action.
Return to the site and log in with the username and password you stated in the sign-up process. You are now ready to start your betting journey.
Best Ohio sportsbook bonuses
Ohio boasts a vibrant sportsbook scene brimming with a wide array of promotions, ranging from exciting welcome bonuses to extra perks. After thorough research, we have curated a list of the top three new-user offers for your consideration.
DraftKings Ohio bonus
USA players are accepted
DraftKings offers a bet $5, get $200 in bonus gets reward to first-timers in Ohio. You will receive the bonus bets regardless of the outcome of your qualifying wager.
If you enjoy wagering on the NBA playoffs DraftKings has you covered. You can get a no-sweat token to put toward an NBA same-game parlay every day of the postseason.
Read: DraftKings review
- Payout speed: 1-5 days
- Sign Up Bonus: Bet $5, Get $200 + No Sweat NBA SGP Tokens
FanDuel Ohio bonus
USA players are accepted
FanDuel Sportsbook Ohio is another leading sportsbook in the Buckeye State. If you join FanDuel Ohio today, you will be awarded $150 in bonus bets after placing a qualifying wager of at least $5.
Read: FanDuel review
- Avg. Payout: 94.5%
- Payout speed: 1-5 days
- Sign Up Bonus: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets
Caesars Ohio bonus
USA players are accepted
Now that Caesars has launched its sportsbook in Ohio, you will be able to take advantage of a lucrative welcome bonus: A $1,000 first bet on Caesars. So, if your first wager loses, the sportsbook will hand you the same amount back as a single bonus bet. You can claim this offer using the Caesars Ohio promo code OPBONUS1000.
Read: Caesars review
- Avg. Payout: 95.04%
- Payout speed: 1-5 days
- Sign Up Bonus: $1,000 First Bet on Caesars
Most popular sports to bet on in Ohio
In Ohio, there's an ample range of premier-class sports teams and it's not by chance that these teams partake in the most betted sports.
Hosting the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals from the NFL label Ohio as the Buckeye State. Consequently, it's one of the states where most sports wagers are placed, particularly for football and basketball. In the basketball sphere, the Cleveland Cavaliers stand out notably.
In baseball, the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians have won seven World Series titles between them. Hockey completes the "big four" of North American sports to bet on in Ohio.
Other popular betting options include soccer, golf, combat sports (MMA and boxing), tennis, and motor racing.
What sports leagues can I bet on in Ohio?
The sports leagues that will attract the most betting interest in Ohio are the NFL and the NBA, with the local Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Cavaliers extremely popular in the region.
The NHL and MLB will also be well supported by bettors, while soccer is increasing in popularity. The success of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer will ensure plenty of betting action on that competition, while some of Europe’s biggest tournaments like the Premier League, La Liga, and Champions League will also be readily available at Ohio sportsbooks.
Every year, the PGA TOUR swings by Muirfield Village in Dublin for the Memorial Tournament, giving you the chance to place bets on that and other exciting golf events. And hey, don't forget about the major tennis tours—betting on the Cincinnati Masters, held in the Fall, is definitely going to catch the eye of local bettors.
What payment options are available on Ohio sportsbooks?
When it comes to depositing funds into your Ohio sportsbook account, and withdrawing winnings, there are several payment options to use.
Credit and debit cards from the likes of Visa and MasterCard are some of the most popular options, while a bank transfer will allow you to move larger sums of money than many other payment options. Note that while incredibly secure, credit/debit cards and wire transfers can take 3-5 working days for withdrawals to be completed.
For the fastest withdrawals, you may want to use e-wallets such as PayPal and Skrill. These can see your cash-out requests completed within 24 hours, although you should note that many e-wallets do unfortunately charge fees per transaction.
If you would prefer to top up your betting account at a retail sportsbook, Play+ and PayNearMe are two of the options that let you fund your online wagering in person.
Is online sports betting legal in Ohio?
Yes, Ohio is now online and has legalized sports betting in the state. There are now 24 live sports betting apps from top sportsbooks.
For any sportsbook to operate in the region, it must hold a valid license from the Ohio casino control commission.
Legal Ohio sports betting timeline
Ohio first considered the idea of making online sports betting legal in 2019. However, multiple discrepancies, especially over tax, kept the General Assembly from passing any sports betting bill. However, in 2021, everything took a different turn when Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 29, making sports betting legal in Ohio.
The state started rolling out sports betting services to Ohio residents on Jan. 1, 2023. On June 20, 2022, PointsBet and BetMGM applied for access to the Buckeye market. These were the first brands to apply for a sports betting license in the state. Caesars sportsbook, the owner of Jack Cleveland Casino, is also among the sites that applied for the Ohio market.
Ohio sports betting laws
One of the primary benefits of the Ohio online betting scene is its favorable laws with minimal constraints. However, it's worth noting that individuals under the age of 18 are prohibited from wagering on horse racing, bingo, and lotteries in compliance with state regulations.
On the other hand, you can only gamble on casino-style games if you are 21 years and beyond. Besides those two, online sports betting apps will be restricted from offering players college sports betting services. Minus these limitations, players in the region can gamble on various matches at legal online sports betting sites. They can also place bets at retail sports betting companies. This makes sports betting in Ohio fantastic.
Who regulates online gambling in Ohio?
The Ohio Casino Control Commission is the organization that will regulate sports betting in Ohio.
They are responsible for approving or rejecting the license applications of sportsbooks interested in operating in Ohio, and so far (at the time of writing) the Commission has awarded around 20 online and retail licenses to various operators.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission will monitor the activities of their licensed sportsbooks, and they have a range of sanctions available to them if an operator falls out of line. Those include fines, license suspensions, and even license revocations for those that seriously breach the rules.
The Commission will also write the rulebook on what sportsbooks in Ohio can and can’t do, whether that’s setting limits on bonuses and promotions or implementing player safety measures such as identity and affordability checks.
Regulatory bodies and key gambling legislation
- Ohio Casino Control Commission: Regulating body in Ohio
- Ohio sports betting law: House Bill 29
- List of Ohio sports gaming applicants: Track submitted and approved OH sports betting applications
- Ohio for responsible gambling: Organization promoting responsible gambling in Ohio
US legal state betting
| State | Online | Retail |
| Arizona Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Arkansas Sportsbooks | No | Yes |
| Colorado Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Connecticut Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Delaware Sportsbooks | No | Yes |
| Florida Sportsbooks | No | No |
| Illinois Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Indiana Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Iowa Sports Betting | Yes | Yes |
| Kentucky Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Louisiana Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Maryland Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Massachusetts Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Michigan Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Mississippi Sportsbooks | No | Yes |
| Montana Sportsbooks | On-Premises Only | Yes |
| Nevada Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| New Hampshire Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| New Jersey Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| New Mexico Sportsbooks | No | Yes |
| New York Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| North Carolina Sportsbooks | No | Yes |
| Ohio Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Oregon Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Pennsylvania Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Rhode Island Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Texas Sportsbooks | No | No |
| Vermont Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Virginia Sportsbooks | No | No |
| West Virginia Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Washington, DC Sportsbooks | Yes | Yes |
| Wisconsin Sportsbooks | No | No |
| Wyoming Sportsbooks | Yes | No |
