It's been a good year in the Buckeye State as Ohio online sports betting is projected to generate more than $1.2 billion in revenue in 2026, a roughly 17% jump over last year's $1.04 billion — and it's happening at the exact moment state politicians are pushing their hardest to rein it in. The numbers tell a story of a market that has no interest in slowing down, even as the debate over its future intensifies at the Statehouse.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Data from the Ohio Casino Control Commission tells a clear story through the first four months of 2026. Online sportsbooks generated $346.5 million in revenue from January through April, compared to $295.4 million over the same stretch in 2025, which is a 17.3% increase. January alone hit $99.6 million, fueled by NFL playoff and Super Bowl wagering, and April came in at $89.2 million on the back of NCAA Tournament action.
If that growth rate holds through the back half of the year, Ohio is on pace for roughly $1.22 billion in total online sports gaming revenue in 2026. The summer months, May through August, will be the soft spot, as they always are without football. But when the NFL and NBA seasons ramp back up in the fall, the trajectory points sharply upward, with November and December historically being the biggest months of the year.
Two operators continue to dominate the market: FanDuel, operating through Hollywood Mahoning Valley, and DraftKings, operating through Hollywood Toledo, together account for the majority of all wagers placed in the state. Bet365, operating through the Cleveland Guardians partnership, rounds out the top three.
A Market Booming While Lawmakers Push Back
The growth figures come at a politically striking moment. A group of Ohio Republican lawmakers unveiled the "Save Ohio Sports Act" in April, a pair of bills that would eliminate betting apps, erasing the online and mobile betting market entirely, requiring Ohioans to visit a physical casino to place any wager. The legislation would also cap individual bets at $100, limit bettors to eight wagers per day, ban parlays and prop bets, and prohibit the use of credit for gambling.
Gov. Mike DeWine has publicly called legalizing sports betting the "biggest mistake" of his tenure, and a separate bill, called S.B. 199, would add a 2% tax on all wagers, with proceeds directed toward public sports stadiums and K-12 education.
None of the bills had been assigned to a committee as of late June, and opposition from the industry and some legislators has been vocal. Sen. DeMora blasted the proposed overhaul as a failure to understand how the market works. But with the governor's backing and pressure from mental health and faith-based advocacy groups, the conversation isn't going away.
What makes the standoff unusual is the math: the state collected hundreds of millions in sports betting tax revenue in 2025, and that number is growing. Restricting or eliminating online wagering would punch a significant hole in that income — one that would have to be filled somewhere else.
