Sports bettors in the Buckeye State set a new handle record in October, wagering $1.13 billion.
Key Takeaways
- October’s handle surpassed $1 billion for the fourth time ever.
- Online revenue went over $96 million, the most in 2025.
- FanDuel saw a massive uptick in dollars wagered during October.
The most ever bet in a month reached $1 billion for the first time since January and the fourth since sports betting went live in January 2023, which was also the previous high with a handle $1.11 billion, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s latest report.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google accountOctober’s online and retail handle spiked 25.7% year-over-year and was up 17% from September. MLB playoffs and World Series, a full month of NFL, and the start to the NBA and NHL regular seasons drove action during a busy sports month.
Profits jump 21%
Sports betting operators combined to generate $98.2 million in gross revenue from an 8.7% hold in October. Profits were up 21% compared to the same month in 2024, and a slightly higher win rate on a much larger handle produced nearly $22 million more in gross revenue than the previous month.
A 17.5% reduction in promotional wagers handed out by mobile operators also helped drive profits from a $1.12 billion handle. Ohio legal online sports betting produced $96.5 million in gross revenue, the highest in 2025 and the most since November 2024.
Retail sportsbooks generated $1.7 million on a $17.1 million handle. A total taxable revenue of $98.5 million led to $19.7 million in tax revenue for the Buckeye State.
FanDuel produces big betting
| Online Operator | October Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | $389.6 million | $34.9 million |
| DraftKings | $376.3 million | $34.4 million |
| bet365 | $81.6 million | $7.3 million |
| BetMGM | $68.3 million | $5.5 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $62.3 million | $4.8 million |
| Caesars | $33.6 million | $2.9 million |
Thirteen of the 14 online sportsbooks in Ohio experienced a month-over-month increase in dollars wagered, but none achieved a double-digit hold. FanDuel had the most significant handle increase, rising from $306.1 million in September to $389.6 million in October, to lead all mobile operators.
DraftKings wasn’t far behind with $376.3 million in wagers, but it outpaced FanDuel in win rate with a 9.1% hold to FanDuel’s 8.9%. Both operators surpassed $34 million in gross revenue. It’s the fourth time this year that FanDuel has reached that mark and the first for DraftKings.
October was another strong wagering month from bet365, which surpassed $80 million in wagers for the first time since March. BetMGM stayed ahead of Fanatics by $4 million and generated $5.5 million, $1.4 million more than the previous month. Caesars got its win rate above 8.5% on a $33.6 million handle.
Hard Rock Bet and ESPN BET both surpassed $30 million in wagers during October, while Prime Sportsbook went over $20 million but finished nearly $300,000 in the red. ESPN BET also had the best online operator win rate for the month, with a 9.6% hold.
