Ohio sports betting experienced only slight year-over-year changes in May.
Key Takeaways
- Ohio operators win back 11.9% during a month when the Cavaliers got swept in the Eastern Conference Finals.
- Online sportsbooks helped the state record $17.8 million in tax revenue.
- FanDuel barely beat out DraftKings for top handle, but produced a much larger hold.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported that online and retail sportsbooks generated $744.1 million, up less than 0.5% from the previous May’s $741.2 million, during a month highlighted by the NBA and NHL playoffs.
Operators hauled in $88.5 million in May, just $300,000 less than the same month in 2025. The 11.9% hold was almost identical to the previous May. The month included the Cleveland Cavaliers needing seven games to beat the Detroit Pistons before getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the eventual champion New York Knicks.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google accountStill, it was the single best win rate produced in a month this year, leading to the third consecutive month with at least $87 million in Ohio betting revenue. Taxable revenue in May reached $88.6 million, the third-highest in 2026.
Online dominates
Ohio sports betting generated $17.8 million in tax revenue for the state in May, putting the year-to-date total over $87 million.
Buckeye State lawmakers are looking to cut a huge chunk of those tax dollars in proposed legislation that would ban online sports betting, as well as wagering on college sports and other markets.
In May, online sportsbooks produced more than 98% of the handle and $87.2 million of the total gross revenue. Retail operators accounted for $1.3 million in profits from $11 million in wagers.
FanDuel wins big
| Online Operator | May Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $230 million | $36.2 million |
| DraftKings | $229.8 million | $26.8 million |
| bet365 | $75.2 million | $7.2 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $52.7 million | $5 million |
| BetMGM | $51.3 million | $4.1 million |
| Caesars | $27.6 million | $3.1 million |
FanDuel barely edged out DraftKings for the largest online operator handle, reaching $230 million. DraftKings was right there with $229.8 million in wagers, but FanDuel’s massive 15.7% hold generated $36.2 million in gross revenue, nearly $10 million more than DraftKings and nearly $4 million ahead of FanDuel’s April profits.
May was another impressive month for bet365, which generated the third-best handle with $75.2 million. However, the operator’s hold fell just below 10%, producing $7.2 million. Fanatics had a similar May, winning back 9.5% on a $52.7-million handle that was slightly ahead of BetMGM’s $51.3 million in wagers.
Caesars produced an 11.2% hold to keep $3.1 million from a $27.6-million handle. Hard Rock Bet generated $24.2 million in bets and a 10.7% hold, while theScore Bet held onto 7.4% of a $17.5-million handle.
