Sports betting went live in the state of Ohio on the first day of 2023. The state joins the growing list of places where sports betting has become active since the federal ban on sports betting was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2018. Sports betting became legal in the Buckeye state in December 2021, after the bill passed through both chambers of the Ohio Legislature and became signed into law by the state Governor, Mike DeWine. The state now has legal sports betting active and already booming within its borderline.
The online and retail sports betting was launched simultaneously in the state on January 1, 2023. The state became one of very few to allow the two forms of sports betting to go live at the same time. Ohio offers a huge market for the business of sports betting and which has led to a large number of sportsbooks launching in the state. The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) will be in charge of regulating the sportsbook operator activities and setting the guidelines as they start business within the state.
A total of 15 sportsbooks launched operations in the Buckeye state on its first day of legal sport betting. We take a look at the sportsbooks that have commenced operation in Ohio and what they offer to users in the state.
DraftKings: DraftKings launched in Ohio on January 1st. The online gaming company has operated its daily fantasy sports contest for years in the Buckeye state. The sportsbook has been available across several states around the country, and is adding Ohio to the list. The sports betting provider has Hollywood Casino Toledo as its land-based partner in Ohio. DraftKings offers new users in Ohio a $50 registration bonus, along with 20% of their deposit up to a maximum of $1,000. The sportsbook also offers new users a $200 free bet bonus when they wager $5 on any sports market.
FanDuel: FanDuel commenced sports betting activities in Ohio on the first day of 2023. The company has dominated the daily fantasy sports space in Ohio alongside DraftKings over the years. The Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel sportsbook added Ohio to its portfolio having been in operation in several states where sports betting is legal. FanDuel's land-based partner in the state of Ohio is Belterra Park. The sportsbook offers a welcome bonus worth $1,000 in no-sweat bet to new users in Ohio. FanDuel also gives new users a $200 worth of free bets when they wager $5 on the platform.
Caesars: Caesars is also one of the sportsbook operators that kick-started business in Ohio when sports betting went live. The sportsbook arm of Caesars Entertainment has gained prominence in the American sports betting industry since its acquisition to William Hill in 2021. The Scioto Downs serves as Caesars' land-based partner in the Buckeye state. The sportsbook is offering new users in Ohio a welcome bonus worth up to $1500 free bet credit that covers their first wager on the platform.
BetMGM: BetMGM also launched sports betting operations in Ohio on January 1st. The sportsbook was founded through a partnership between hospitality giant MGM Resorts International and international gambling company Entain in 2018. BetMGM has grown to become one of the top players in the American online sports betting industry. Previously named PlayMGM, the Nevada-based sportsbook was among the first to launch operations after the overturn of the federal ban. It has its parent company's racino, the MGM Northfield Park, as its land-based partner in Ohio. The sportsbook offers a first bet insurance worth up to $1,000 to its new users in the Buckeye state.
Barstool: Barstool also went live in Ohio along with legal sports betting in the state. The sportsbook started business in 2003 as a sports blog that generated a whole lot of controversy across the country. The sportsbook has, however, witnessed a significant change in its public image since it struck a partnership deal with Penn National Gaming. Barstool has become one of the most notable sport betting sites in the United States and it made Ohio its 15th state of operation. The sportsbook’s land-based partner in Ohio is the Hollywood Casino Columbus. Barstool offers new users in the state sign-up bonuses worth a total of $1,100.
PointsBet: PointsBet went a step further in the American online sports betting space after launching operations in Ohio. The sportsbook has taken the American sports betting industry by storm since its entry into New Jersey in 2018. With its unique form of betting branded as "PointsBetting", the Australian sportsbook operator has gained a wide level of popularity with the American market. The state of Ohio now joins its list of portfolios as the sportsbook continues to spread across the United State. Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley serves as the operator's partner in the Buckeye state. It welcomes its users with a bonus offer worth up to $2,000.
Bet365: Having not expanded much since its entry into the United States, Bet365 has added Ohio to its list of states. Founded by Denise Coates in 2000, the British online sportsbook is one of the most respected names in the global online sports betting industry. The online sportsbook operator based in Stoke-on-Trent is a trailblazer in sports betting innovation and also boasts millions of users around the world. The betting firm expanded into the American market after the Supreme Court struck out the federal ban. The land-based partner of Bet365 in Ohio is the Cleveland Guardians. New users of Bet365 in Ohio get $200 as a sign-up bonus.
BetRivers: BetRivers also joined a host of other sportsbooks in the country to launch operations in the Buckeye state. The sports betting platform was founded in 2019 by Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive Inc. BetRivers serves as the sportsbook arm of River Casino, which operates retail venues across the state of Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania. The sportsbook already maintains operations in a number of legal states across the federation, with Ohio now added to the list. The land-based partner of BetRivers in the Buckeye state is Hollywood Casino Columbus. Betrivers offer new users a bet credit worth up to $500.
Hard Rock: Hard Rock also expanded business to Ohio on the first day of 2023. The sportsbook has gained prominence wide across the United States in the last couple of years. It serves as the online sports betting arm of the well-established Hard Rock Casino, owned and operated by the Hard Rock Cafe Incorporated. Powered by the Gaming Innovation Group, Hard Rock sportsbook launched operations in 2019 in New Jersey, and has calmly spread across to other states of the federation. Its land-based partner in Ohio is its parent company’s Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati. New users in Ohio get a $100 risk-free bet as a welcome bonus.
BetFred: BetFred also entered the Ohio market when sports betting went live in the state. The British sportsbook has slowly expanded across the United States since its launch in the country. Founded by Fred Done in the United Kingdom in 1967, BetFred is one of the biggest sports betting sites in the world by revenue, boasting millions of users around the world. The sports betting platform has added the state of Ohio to its American portfolio having started to take bets since January 1st. The British sportsbook has the Cincinnati Bengals as its land-based partner. Hard Rock new users within Ohio get a welcome bonus worth up to a sum of $1,111.
Other Sportsbooks: Aside from the sportsbooks examined above, other legal sports betting platforms that kick-started operation in the state of Ohio include Superbook, BetJACK, Tipico, Betly and Betr. Each of the sportsbooks offer amazing welcome bonuses to users in the Buckeye state in a bid to lure them onto their platform. All of the listed sportsbooks are legally licensed by the OCCC to maintain operation within the state.
