In 2018, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of sports betting, overturning a 1992 federal law that banned commercial betting in most states. This decision was met with enthusiasm by the sports betting industry, and states will now be able to move forward with the legalization and regulation of in-state sports betting.
In June of 2021, the Ohio Senate approved legislation to legalize sports betting. The bill is headed to the House, and, if approved, would allow 53 licenses to be issued for taking wagers on both collegiate and professional level sports, 25 of which would be available to Ohio casinos and racinos (racetracks). These institutions will likely then partner with third-party companies to provide online methods by which punters can get involved in online sports betting in Ohio. By the second year of operations, it’s forecast that well-known betting companies like BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet will be able to operate in Ohio.
Is sports betting in Ohio legal?
At the time of writing, sports betting in Ohio is not legal. The bill SB176 will legalize both online and retail sports betting if it’s passed by the House, under whose jurisdiction it now sits, having passed the Senate in mid-June of 2021. Even if the House does approve this bill, the Senate’s proposal for the bill stated that sports betting will not be legally available until April 2022.
How to place legal bets in Ohio
If you’re Ohio-based and keen to experience the rush of betting, you can head to one of the state’s eleven casinos and racetracks – known as racinos. There, you can enjoy gambling on the slots, poker, or table games, and you are allowed to place wagers on horse racing. You can also use an offshore betting site to place bets on horse racing if you’d prefer. Daily fantasy sports are also legal in Ohio at five specific sites: FanDuel, DraftKings, Yahoo Fantasy Sports, StatHero, and Fantasy Golf’s OG. Any other fantasy sports sites have not been licensed by the state and are therefore illegal to play.
Similarly, any other land-based sports betting in Ohio than specified above is otherwise not allowed. If sports betting bill SB 176 is passed by the House, it would require mobile sports betting sites to partner with one of these eleven state-based racinos or casinos, forming a profitable alliance that will undoubtedly lead to some serious app-based betting opportunities.
Other options
Four of Ohio’s neighboring states do offer legal betting, so you can head to either Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia if the casinos or racetracks aren’t for you. Be wary of any website that claims to accept bets from the Ohio populace, as it might not be operating within the parameters of the law.
One option for Ohio-based residents to get involved in betting, however, is by using an offshore sportsbook. These tend to be based in locations including the EU, Costa Rica, or Curacao, and are not regulated by the Ohio government. As an Ohio resident, however, it is still legal to bet with them.
Read more: Top Canadian Betting Platforms
