The Buckeye State’s sports betting went over $900 million in September for the seventh time since launching in January 2023, but operator revenue plummeted 30.6% year-over-year.
Key Takeaways
- Operators’ win rate fell five points from the same month in 2024.
- The first full month of football generated the third-highest handle of 2025.
- FanDuel made a state-best $32.8 million during a month when operators struggled to reach double-digit holds.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission recently reported that online and retail sportsbooks hauled in $77.7 million in revenue from a $967-million September handle. The 8% hold was down five points from the same month in 2024.
It was going to be difficult for Ohio sportsbooks to match or surpass the previous September, which produced well over $110 million. That’s only been done four times since wagering went live nearly three years ago.
In a month dominated by the NFL, college football, and the end of the MLB regular season, bettors improved their year-over-year success rate, especially in the early weeks of pro football. September revenue only bested August, when the NFL held its preseason, college football was just beginning, and baseball was still the predominant betting option, by $5 million.
September’s hold also fell three points from the previous month, and the latest win rate ends a fourth-month run of double-digit holds.
The king is back
Football is king in most legal U.S. sports betting jurisdictions, and Ohio is no exception. The Buckeye State’s September handle spiked 12% from the previous year’s $864.2 million during the heavy volume month. The amount wagered in September was the third-highest in 2025 and fifth-best all time in Ohio. Wagering increased by $300 million from August to September in the first full month of football.
Online sports betting in Ohio went from $842.3 million in September 2024 to $949.9 million in the latest reported month. Retail sportsbooks, however, endured a 17% year-over-year wagering decrease.
Ohio can expect an even higher handle when figures are released for October, a month that includes the start of the NBA and NHL seasons as well as MLB’s postseason.
The Buckeye State filled its coffers with $15.5 million in September.
FanDuel tops them all
| Online Operator | September Handle | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | $342.7 million | $21.6 million |
| FanDuel | $306.1 million | $32.8 million |
| bet365 | $75.8 million | $6.8 million |
| BetMGM | $60.4 million | $4.1 million |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | $52.3 million | $2.8 million |
| Caesars | $31.6 million | $2 million |
DraftKings generated a state-best $342.7 million handle in September but finished second with $21.6 million in revenue. FanDuel’s 10.7% hold on $306 million in wagers led to a leading $32.8 million in revenue. FanDuel also generated a handle nearly $100 million higher than in the previous month.
bet365’s 9% win rate produced $6.8 million in revenue from a $75.8-million handle. BetMGM and Fanatics Sportsbook were the only other online operators to surpass $50 million in bets during September, but neither sportsbook was able to turn a hold of 7%.
Caesars got back $2 million on a $31.6-million handle. ESPN BET and Hard Rock Bet both hauled in more revenue than Caesars on significantly less handle. The PENN Entertainment platform’s nearly 10% hold produced $2.9 million in profits, while Hard Rock Bet cleared $2.4 million on $21.9 million in wagers.
The combined $46.7 million spent by online sportsbooks in promotional wagering was down $1 million from September 2024.
