Best online sportsbook Ohio is close to a coin flip between FanDuel and DraftKings, and it has been since the market opened. What separates Ohio from most other legal states isn't the ranking — it's how the Ohio Casino Control Commission introduced itself to the industry. Within weeks of the January 1, 2023 launch, the state's biggest operators were already answering for proposed fines that added up to more than $1 million.

FanDuel and DraftKings: An Actual Photo Finish

Most states with a legal sports betting market have a clear leader and a clear chaser. Ohio doesn't, really. In May 2026, FanDuel posted $230.0 million in online handle to DraftKings' $229.8 million — a gap of less than $200,000 on a combined handle north of $450 million, with each book holding roughly 31.4% of the market. The lead has swapped between them repeatedly since launch, and the two together account for an estimated 63% of all online wagering in the state.

Ohio sports betting, by the numbers

  • Launch date: January 1, 2023, midnight
  • Authorizing law: HB 29, signed December 2021
  • Regulator: Ohio Casino Control Commission
  • Tax rate: 20% of adjusted gross revenue (doubled from 10% in July 2023)
  • FanDuel / DraftKings combined share: roughly 63% of online handle
  • May 2026 online handle: $733.1 million statewide

The Launch-Week Crackdown That Set the Tone

Ohio didn't ease into regulating its new market. Before most residents had placed a first bet, the Ohio Casino Control Commission proposed a $250,000 fine against Barstool Sports' parent company for promoting a sportsbook and a promo code on the University of Toledo campus, and a separate $350,000 fine against DraftKings over mailers that reached underage recipients. Days into January 2023, the commission added $150,000 proposed fines each against BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings for advertising "risk-free" or "free" bets the regulator said still required a bettor to risk real money to collect — on top of ads that skipped required problem-gambling messaging even after the commission issued explicit guidance days before launch.

Is it safe? Yes, in the sense that matters most — every operator fined in January 2023 is still licensed and operating in Ohio years later, and the OCCC's willingness to come down hard on misleading advertising is a point in the market's favor, not a red flag against any specific brand still on this page.

Tax Rate: Doubled Once, Survived a Push to 40%

Ohio sportsbooks paid a 10% tax on adjusted gross revenue at launch, then saw that rate doubled to 20% effective July 1, 2023, as part of the state's 2023-2024 budget. Governor DeWine tried again in his proposed 2026-2027 budget, floating a hike as high as 40% — but lawmakers left the increase out of the final budget agreement, so the rate operators pay today is still 20%, not 40%.

Worth Betting Legally in Ohio Now?

Yes, for anyone 21 or older physically in the state. FanDuel and DraftKings are the practical answer on volume and either is a reasonable pick given how often the lead changes hands; BetMGM and Caesars are the established next tier, and bet365 is the newer name worth knowing. The 2023 fines were real, but they landed on advertising, not on whether these operators pay out — none of that changes what legal sports betting still is: 21-and-over entertainment with the house holding the edge, not a way to make money. The Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-589-9966, is free and confidential around the clock.

The short list

  1. 1. FanDuel — Narrow handle leader most months, not every month

    Posted $230.0 million in Ohio online handle in May 2026 against DraftKings' $229.8 million — roughly 31.4% market share each, with the lead genuinely swapping month to month rather than FanDuel running away with it.

  2. 2. DraftKings — Essentially tied with FanDuel on volume

    Within a few hundred thousand dollars of FanDuel's handle in recent months and has led outright in other months — Ohio is one of the few states where this isn't really a two-tier race.

  3. 3. BetMGM — Licensed statewide, a clear step behind the top two

    One of the five operators the Ohio Casino Control Commission fined in the state's first month for "risk-free" advertising language, now years into operating without further high-profile enforcement.

  4. 4. Caesars Sportsbook — Same launch-week fine, same long operating record since

    Also named in the OCCC's January 2023 advertising fines alongside BetMGM and DraftKings, and has run in Ohio without interruption since the day-one launch.

  5. 5. bet365 — The newer global name picking up Ohio share

    A UK-rooted operator with no part in the 2023 advertising fines, now holding a smaller but real slice of Ohio handle alongside Fanatics as the market's newer entrants.

The honest verdict

FanDuel and DraftKings are the pick, in either order — they combine for roughly 63% of Ohio's online handle and the lead genuinely swaps month to month; in May 2026 FanDuel's $230.0 million in handle edged DraftKings' $229.8 million by less than $200,000. BetMGM, Caesars, and bet365 are the honest next tier: all licensed, all live statewide, none close to the top two on volume. What should inform the choice more than market share is that Ohio came out of the gate as one of the most aggressive state regulators in the country on advertising — the Ohio Casino Control Commission proposed six-figure fines against DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars within days of the January 2023 launch, on top of a $250,000 fine against Barstool's parent for marketing on a University of Toledo campus and a $350,000 fine against DraftKings for mailers that reached minors. Every operator on this page is licensed and still operating in Ohio years later, which says more about the market's stability than the headlines did at the time. None of this is a way to make money — it's 21-and-over entertainment with a built-in house edge, and the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-589-9966, is free and confidential.

Questions this list actually answers

What is the best online sportsbook in Ohio?

FanDuel and DraftKings, in whichever order is leading that month — they combine for roughly 63% of Ohio's online handle and have traded the top spot repeatedly since launch. BetMGM, Caesars, and bet365 are licensed statewide alternatives well behind on volume.

Is online sports betting legal in Ohio?

Yes. Governor Mike DeWine signed HB 29 in December 2021, and the Ohio Casino Control Commission turned on both retail and online sports betting statewide at midnight on January 1, 2023 — one of the larger single-day launches in US sports betting history.

Why did Ohio fine sportsbooks right after launch?

The Ohio Casino Control Commission proposed a $250,000 fine against Barstool's parent company for advertising on a University of Toledo campus, a $350,000 fine against DraftKings for mailers that reached underage recipients, and $150,000 fines each against BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings for "risk-free" promotional language the commission said was misleading — all within the state's first month of legal betting.

What is Ohio's sports betting tax rate?

Twenty percent of adjusted gross revenue. Ohio launched at 10% in January 2023, then doubled the rate to 20% effective July 1, 2023 as part of that year's state budget. A 2025 proposal from Governor DeWine to push it to 40% for the 2026-2027 budget did not make it into the final bill, so 20% still stands.

Is bet365 available in Ohio?

Yes — bet365 is licensed and operating in Ohio, one of the newer national names building share alongside Fanatics behind the established FanDuel-DraftKings-BetMGM-Caesars group.

Who regulates online sports betting in Ohio?

The Ohio Casino Control Commission, which licenses every operator on this page, publishes monthly handle and revenue data by operator, and has shown a willingness to propose large fines over advertising violations rather than treat them as a cost of doing business.