Ohio Sports Betting

Is Sports Betting Legal in Ohio?

No. Although it is one of the states with the biggest potential for an incredibly successful sports betting industry, Ohio happens to be one of the states that have held out on legalizing Ohio sports gambling as well as some other forms of betting. Thankfully, this might not be the case for too long as several lawmakers have been championing bills that could see the state finally give sports betting a shot. This could be as early as 2021 depending on several factors.

Meanwhile, even though the residents of Ohio do not have access to state-sanctioned sportsbooks, they are not completely starved from placing wagers on their favorite sports. This is all thanks to the existence of offshore sportsbooks. In this guide, we talk about how you can leverage these amazing sites to keep enjoying betting on sports.

Legal Sports Betting: Ohio

According to current state and federal laws in Ohio, there is no form of regulated sports betting in Ohio available to its residents. Despite its neighboring states offering legalized sports betting, Ohio has prohibited any gaming operator from offering sports betting services within its borders and this is set to be the case for the foreseeable future. As such, to enjoy some sports betting action, the bettors will need to look elsewhere as there are simply no sportsbooks to play on in the state.

Ohio Sports Betting Bill

The lack of a legalized and regulated sports betting sector in Ohio is certainly a huge missed opportunity and the state’s leaders and policymakers have begun to acknowledge this. To begin with, all of Ohio’s neighboring states have already made tremendous advancements with regards to establishing and fostering wildly successful sports betting industries.

Fortunately, Ohio sports betting laws are getting ready to catch up with its neighbors. As of the time of this writing, Ohio is considering two sports betting bills which, if passed, could finally bring the long-awaited legal sports betting sector to the state. The bills were first introduced in 2019 and their progress has been rather slow but it seems that the state is focused on ironing out any issues that may crop up along the way before they make the huge decision.

There has been a lot of speculation that 2021 could finally be the year when the bills finally advance further and hopefully become law. To put everything about these important bills into perspective, here are brief breakdowns of each of them:

House Bill 194 (HB194). – Championed by Rep. Dave Greenspan, this bill is widely considered to be the more robust of the two sports betting-related bills currently being evaluated by Ohio lawmakers. Its main aim is to see to the legalization, regulation, and subsequent taxation of sports betting businesses in the state. It also proposes that the Lottery Commission should be given oversight over the sports betting sector.

Senate Bill 111 (SB111). – Even though it is active, unlike HB194, this Sen. John Eklund-backed bill has not progressed much past the introduction phase. Naturally, this makes the chances that it will advance further especially in 2021 considerably slim. It proposes that sports betting should be legalized but limited to the state’s 11 casinos or racinos In addition to that, the bill further proposes that the sector should be under the oversight of the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

Online Sports Betting: Ohio

Just like it is the case with land-based or brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, there are currently no state-sanctioned online sports betting sites operating in Ohio. Ohio sports betting laws (including federal) are pretty strict about this which means that even offerings from companies such as FanDuel and DraftKings which is registered in the United States cannot offer their services within the state’s borders, that is, until the sports betting laws are eventually passed. Still, it is worth noting that the two are very likely to be among the first to offer legal sports betting to the state’s residents when it finally becomes available.

While it is illegal to operate an online sportsbook in Ohio, the state’s residents can freely use offshore sports betting sites instead. There are no laws that explicitly prohibit this which means that they never have to worry about getting into any trouble for using those sportsbooks. That said, all that sports bettors in Ohio need to do is identify and settle on reputable offshore online sportsbooks that offer them the best experiences.

In case you are wondering which offshore sports betting sites you can access from Ohio, here are the top brands to get you started:

Bovada – Known for its massive bonuses, its amazing list of sports markets and odds as well as its neat design, this amazing online sportsbook is where you want to turn to if you are looking for a nearly flawless betting experience. Everything about this site is built to impress and that is exactly how you will feel right from the moment you get started.

BetOnline – If you are looking for all the sports you can bet on and the most competitive odds, BetOnline offers you just that in a simple yet stylish package that will keep you coming back for more. The bonuses and promotions as well as the impressive selection of safe, reliable, and fast payment options make it a go-to for many sports bettors in Ohio and other parts of the United States.

MyBookie – It all starts with the massive 100% up to $1000 promotional bonus that this sportsbook has to offer but that is not all that defines what it has in store for you. MyBookie is known for its wide range of betting markets providing sports bettors a neat balance between genuine fun bets and respectable margins. The user experience is a delight to use regardless of whether you are an avid sports bettor or a newbie.

FanDuel Sportsbook (Ohio) and DraftKings Sportsbook (Ohio)

These two sportsbooks have the biggest presence in America right now but until sports betting is legalized and regulated in Ohio, bettors won’t see FanDuel nor DraftKings anywhere in the state.

Ohio Sports Teams

In addition to having one of the largest populations in the United States, Ohio also prides itself in being the home of several amazing teams – no wonder sports betting is such a big deal among its residents. Finding Ohio professional sports teams to support and bet on is therefore very simple. If you are not familiar with any of the state’s teams, here is a list of its pro sports teams:

• Cleveland Browns (NFL)
• Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
• Cleveland Indians (MLB)
• Cincinnati Bengals (NFL)
• Cincinnati Reds (MLB)
• FC Cincinnati (MLS)
• Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
• Columbus Crew SC (MLS)

FAQ