Buckeye State sports betting operators enjoyed a strong August with significant year-over-year increases in both handle and revenue.
Key Takeaways
- August generated the highest handle since May.
- College football’s early start helped spur a 20.9% wagering increase.
- Online sportsbooks cleaned up behind a nearly 11% hold.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission recently reported that online and retail sportsbooks generated $663.2 million, the most ever in August. The amount wagered spiked 20.9% compared to the same month in 2024. It’s the highest handle since May’s $741.3 million.
A late-August start to the college football season, a full slate of NFL preseason games, and a highly bet MLB month helped spur the year-over-year change in Ohio sports betting.
The heavier amount of wagering, combined with a weekend of upsets to kick off college football, led to a nearly 50% year-over-year increase in revenue. Despite Ohio State knocking off Texas at home in late August, sportsbooks still hauled in $72.7 million thanks to an impressive 11% hold.
Retail bounces back
The Buckeye State filled its coffers with $14.5 million in August. Online sports betting paid out most of that amount after mobile wagering accounted for $70.7 million. More than $651 million was bet online during the month.
Retail sports betting saw a 16% handle increase from July, when in-person wagering didn’t reach $10 million. Brick-and-mortar operators produced $1.9 million in revenue, which is up from July’s $1.4 million and on par with the previous August.
High holds
| Online Operator | August Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $218.1 million | $24.5 million |
| FanDuel | $207.6 million | $24.7 million |
| bet365 | $58.7 million | $5.6 million |
| BetMGM | $43.6 million | $4.8 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $36.8 million | $3.7 million |
| Caesars | $23.4 million | $2 million |
DraftKings topped the Buckeye State in handle with over $218 million in wagers accepted. However, FanDuel’s 11.9% hold on a $207.6-million handle put the online operator slightly ahead of DraftKings in August revenue. Both operators cleared $24 million in profits, significantly higher than in July.
bet365 continued to be the third-most profitable online operator with $5.6 million in revenue from a $58.7-million handle. BetMGM took in $43.6 million in wagers, over $600,000 more than the previous month, and revenue rose the same amount. Fanatics Sportsbook rounded out the top five with $3.7 million in revenue from a $36.8-million handle.
Caesars held off ESPN BET in amount wagered with a $23.4-million handle that was less than $2 million more than the PENN Entertainment platform, but ESPN BET hauled in more revenue behind a 10.9% hold. Hard Rock Bet and Prime Sportsbook also eclipsed $10 million in handle, but Prime took a loss for the month.
