The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) revealed the state accepted nearly $1 billion in wagers during March, its fourth-highest monthly betting handle.
March's report confirmed sportsbooks took in $66.5 million in combined revenue across retail and online outlets, a 4.1% increase over March 2024.
Key insights
- The handle represented a 22.6% year-over-year growth.
- The 6.7% hold was the lowest since last December.
- FanDuel and DraftKings dominated the market with little separation between them.
Ohio sports betting might not carry the same reputation as Nevada or New Jersey, but it's consistently been one of the U.S.' top gaming markets.
The OCCC confirmed Ohio’s position with its March report. Operators accepted $972.9 million in online wagers and $19.1 million in retail sports bets, just barely missing the billion-dollar threshold it last crossed in January.
Handle was a 30.2% increase over February's amount and 22.6% above the amount reported one year ago.
However, the $66.5 million in total taxable revenue resulted in a 6.7% hold, the lowest since Dec. 2024 and below the 7.9% from March 2024. The final income tally was also 11.7% lower than the $75.3 million in February, which had a 9.9% hold.
98.1% of total betting handle and 96.6% of revenue came from online sportsbooks.
March Madness largely spurred betting, ending the post-Super Bowl hangover for major legal sports wagering attractions.
Who stepped up?
| Operator | Revenue | Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Fanduel (Belterra Park) | $26.4 million | $327 million |
| DraftKings (Hollywood Toledo) | $22.7 million | $318.1 million |
| Bet365 (Cleveland Guardians) | $4.6 million | $89.9 million |
| BetMGM (MGM Northfield Park + Cincinnati Reds) | $3.4 million | $79.2 million |
| Fanatics (Columbus Blue Jackets + Cleveland Guardians) | $2.5 million | $49.8 million |
| Caesars (Scioto Downs) | $2.3 million | $40.4 million |
| PENN Interactive/ESPN Bet (Hollywood Columbus) | $2.1 million | $40.9 million |
| Hard Rock (Hard Rock Cincinnati) | $1.1 million | $17.9 million |
| betJACK (Jack Cleveland + Jack Thistledown) | $681,504 | $9.2 million |
There was a close race between Ohio’s top two sports betting operators for the most productive period.
The top spot belonged to FanDuel, also the national leader, which accepted $327 million in wagers and claimed $26.4 million in revenue. DraftKings was just behind with $318.1 million in betting handle and $22.7 million in income.
Some $228 million later, bet365 claimed the bronze medal with $89.9 million in wagers and $4.6 million in gaming profit.
BetMGM barely missed out on the podium with $79.2 million in handle and $3.4 million in revenue.
Fanatics was next with a $49.8 million handle and $2.5 million in income; Caesars had a $40.4 million handle and $2.3 million in revenue; PENN Interactive (ESPN Bet) produced $40.9 million in bets and $2.1 million in profit; Hard Rock took in $17.9 million worth of bets and made $1.1 million in revenue; and betJACK had $9.2 million in wagers and $681,504 in income.
The remaining operators, including Hollywood Gaming, Prime Sports, MVG Bet, Bally’s, and Betr made less than $500,000 in revenue.
