Is Sports Betting Legal in Ohio? Legal Apps List
Short answer
Yes. Ohio has allowed sports betting since January 1, 2023. Adults 21 and older who are physically in Ohio can bet through licensed apps, casinos and bar kiosks. Only operators licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission are legal (ORC Chapter 3775).
Last verified: October 30, 2026 against the Ohio Revised Code, Chapters 3775 and 2915, and Ohio Casino Control Commission announcements
Is sports betting legal in Ohio? For adults 21 and older, yes. Voters did not pass this one at the ballot box. The General Assembly did, through House Bill 29, and the first bets were taken on January 1, 2023.
This page covers who can bet, which apps and venues count as legal, what you cannot bet on, what the state taxes, and the new fight over prediction market sites. It also covers what can still get you charged.
Key facts
- Minimum age: 21, for online and in-person wagers (
ORC 3775.11,ORC 3775.12). - Where: online apps (you must be physically in Ohio), casinos and racinos, sports gaming facilities, and Ohio Lottery kiosks in licensed bars and restaurants.
- Regulator: the Ohio Casino Control Commission. The Ohio Lottery Commission runs the kiosk program.
- Launch date: January 1, 2023.
- Tax: operators pay 20% of sports gaming receipts (
ORC 5753.021). You pay no special betting tax, but winnings are taxable income. - Banned: bets on high school sports and on individual college athlete performance.
- Pending: House Bill 971, the “Save Ohio Sports Act,” would end online betting. It has not passed.
Is sports betting legal in Ohio right now?
Yes. Ohio treats sports betting, which the law calls “sports gaming,” as a regulated business under ORC Chapter 3775. The Ohio Casino Control Commission licenses the companies and writes the rules.
Sports betting, sports wagering and sports gaming all mean the same thing here. The law covers moneyline bets, point spreads, parlays and proposition bets on approved sporting events. It does not cover horse racing, casino games or fantasy contests, which have their own rules.
Ohio is also not a one-way street for the industry. Lawmakers have introduced a bill to roll the market back, and regulators are in a fight with prediction market sites. Both are covered below.
Timeline: how sports betting became legal in Ohio
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 22, 2021 | Gov. Mike DeWine signs House Bill 29 (134th General Assembly), legalizing sports gaming. |
| March 23, 2022 | The new chapter takes effect, and the commission begins licensing. |
| January 1, 2023 | Online, casino and kiosk betting go live statewide. |
| July 4, 2023 | House Bill 33 (135th General Assembly) raises the operator tax to 20% (ORC 5753.021). |
| February 23, 2024 | The commission bans prop bets on individual college athletes. |
| September 25, 2026 | The Sixth Circuit rules for Ohio regulators in a challenge by a prediction-market company. |
| October 2026 | The commission acts against prediction markets that offer sports contracts. |
Who can bet on sports in Ohio?
You must be at least 21 and physically in Ohio when you place the bet. Operators use location technology to block anyone outside the state (ORC 3775.11).
Your sports gaming account must be in your own full legal name. Operators must stop anyone from placing a bet for another person, so a friend cannot bet for you with their account.
Some people cannot bet at all (ORC 3775.13):
- People on the commission’s exclusion list or who joined the voluntary self-exclusion program.
- Owners, directors and employees of a sportsbook, and people with access to its confidential information, with that operator.
- Athletes, coaches, referees and team owners, on events they are involved in.
- Members and employees of the Casino Control Commission and Ohio Lottery Commission, with in-state sportsbooks.
Under-21 adults also cannot enter a sports gaming facility. The only exceptions are employees aged 18 to 20 whose jobs are not tied to betting and under-21 guests escorted through a non-gaming area (ORC 3775.12).
What sports betting apps are legal in Ohio?
Any app run by a company that holds an Ohio license is legal, and any app without one is not. Many well-known national sportsbook companies operate in Ohio under commission licenses.
Ohio uses license types. A “type A” proprietor runs an online sports pool, such as a mobile app. A “type B” proprietor runs a sports gaming facility, such as a casino sportsbook. A “type C” proprietor runs self-service kiosks in bars and restaurants that hold certain liquor permits (ORC 3775.01).
Some companies appear on the commission’s license list as type A proprietors and others as mobile management services providers, which run the app for a licensed team or casino. Ohio pro teams, racinos and casinos hold many of the underlying licenses.
This page does not recommend any app. To check a specific app, look it up on the commission’s sports gaming license list.
When did licensed online sportsbooks become legal in Ohio?
Licensed online sportsbooks could take bets starting on launch day, January 1, 2023. Ohio used one universal start date.
Before that date, betting through these apps was not legal in Ohio. The law signed in December 2021 required the start to be no later than January 1, 2023.
Where else can you bet legally?
Besides apps, Ohio allows in-person betting at the state’s casinos and racinos and at kiosks run through the Ohio Lottery.
- Casinos and racinos: in-person sportsbooks with a ticket window and kiosks.
- Lottery kiosks: the Ohio Lottery’s UBETOhio kiosks in licensed bars and restaurants take cash or winning-ticket vouchers and scan your ID to confirm you are 21.
- Sports gaming facilities: licensed venues, which only adults 21 and older may enter.
What can you not bet on in Ohio?
You cannot bet on high school sports, and you cannot bet on how an individual college athlete performs. Ohio law excludes events of primary and secondary schools from the definition of a sporting event (ORC 3775.01).
On February 23, 2024, the Casino Control Commission banned player prop bets on college athletes, such as points or yards in one game (OAC 3775-11-01). Bets on the final score or the winner of a college game are still allowed, and so are player props on pro games. The commission has power to bar or restrict any event or bet type (ORC 3775.02).
Gov. DeWine has publicly called for a ban on all prop bets. We could not confirm from an official source that the commission has acted on that request, so check the commission’s approved catalogue for current rules on pro player props.
How much tax is there on sports betting in Ohio?
Ohio taxes the operator, not you. Sportsbooks pay 20% of their sports gaming receipts, which are bets taken minus winnings paid (ORC 5753.021).
Your winnings still count as income. Federal law requires you to report them, and Ohio income tax can apply too (ORC Chapter 5747). Keep your account statements for tax time.
Ohio vs. Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania
All five neighbors also allow legal sports betting, so Ohio is not alone, and you can bet only while you are inside the state where the app is licensed.
That location rule matters on the border. An Ohio account will not work if you are across the line in Kentucky, and a Kentucky account will not work in Cincinnati. The app checks where your phone is, not where you live.
What are the penalties for illegal sports betting in Ohio?
Illegal gambling is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a repeat offense is a fifth-degree felony (ORC 2915.02). The statute lists bookmaking and operating gambling schemes for profit.
| Offense | Level | Jail or prison (maximum) | Fine (maximum) |
|---|---|---|---|
Gambling, including bookmaking (ORC 2915.02) | M1 | Up to 180 days | $1,000 |
| Gambling with a prior gambling conviction | F5 | 6 to 12 months | $2,500 |
Ranges come from ORC 2929.24, ORC 2929.28, ORC 2929.14 and ORC 2929.18. A judge sets the actual sentence. The statute also says that knowingly helping a bookmaking operation counts as facilitating bookmaking, and it names placing a bet with that operation as one example.
Conduct that the law expressly permits is not a crime under ORC 2915.02. That is why a bet through a licensed app is fine. An offshore site or a local bookie has no Ohio license, no commission oversight and no one to complain to if they refuse to pay.
Prediction markets: is that legal in Ohio?
Ohio says no, at least for sports contracts. The Ohio Casino Control Commission treats prediction markets that sell sports contracts as unlicensed sportsbooks, and Gov. DeWine has called them illegal gambling.
Court and enforcement status: On September 25, 2026, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the denial of a preliminary injunction that a prediction-market company sought against Ohio regulators, and held that its sports event contracts are not federally exclusive “swaps” that override state gambling law. In October 2026, the commission confirmed it had sent cease-and-desist letters to prediction market operators and told licensees and suppliers to cut ties with them, with a compliance-reporting deadline of October 30, 2026. Prediction market companies say these contracts are federal swaps that states cannot regulate, and the U.S. Supreme Court may have to decide.
For you, the practical point is that a prediction market is not a licensed Ohio sportsbook. It does not use the protections of ORC Chapter 3775, so check who regulates a site before you put money on it.
Is Ohio about to ban online sports betting?
Not yet. House Bill 971 of the 136th General Assembly, called the Save Ohio Sports Act, is only a proposal.
According to the legislature’s website, the bill has been introduced in the House, shows no committee action and would repeal ORC 3775.11, among other changes. It must pass both chambers and get the governor’s signature before anything changes.
Pending bill: Until the legislature acts, online and in-person sports betting stays legal for adults 21 and older. Nothing in House Bill 971 is the law today.
Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati: do cities have their own rules?
No. Sports betting follows state law in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo and Akron. Cities do not license or ban betting apps. What differs by city is which casino, racino or team-linked sportsbook is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Are licensed national sportsbook apps legal in Ohio?
Yes, if the company holds an Ohio license. Licensed online sportsbooks have been able to take bets since launch day, January 1, 2023. You must be 21 or older and physically inside Ohio. Check the commission’s license list to confirm any company’s status.
What rules apply to every legal app?
Every licensed app follows the same rules: you must be 21 or older, use your own account in your own legal name and be inside the state when you bet (ORC 3775.11).
Is sports betting legal in OH at age 18 or 19?
No. Ohio sets the minimum age at 21 for online and in-person sports gaming. Adults 18 to 20 may not bet and generally may not enter a sports gaming facility. The only exceptions are certain employees and escorted guests in non-gaming areas (ORC 3775.12).
Can I bet on Ohio State or other college games?
Yes, on the winner, point spread or total score. No, on how an individual college athlete performs, since the Casino Control Commission banned those player prop bets on February 23, 2024. High school games are also off limits under ORC 3775.01.
Is online betting legal in Ohio if I use a site in another country?
The site is not licensed in Ohio, so it is not a legal route. Illegal gambling and bookmaking are first-degree misdemeanors under ORC 2915.02, and the statute treats placing a bet with a bookmaking operation as facilitating it. You also get no Ohio consumer protections.
Will Ohio ban sports betting apps?
Not at the moment. House Bill 971 would end online betting, but it is only a proposal, and the legislature’s website shows no action beyond introduction. A call for a ban on prop bets is a separate matter. Until the law changes, licensed apps stay legal.
What changed on this page
- October 30, 2026: First published. Written against
ORC Chapter 3775, the Sixth Circuit’s September 2026 opinion, the commission’s prediction market actions and House Bill 971 as introduced. See our editorial policy and corrections page.
If this affects you
For questions about licensed sportsbooks, complaints about an operator or the voluntary exclusion program, contact the Ohio Casino Control Commission at 1-614-387-5858. For kiosk questions, contact the Ohio Lottery Commission.
If gambling is causing harm, the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-589-9966. If you are charged with a gambling offense or have a dispute over winnings, talk to an Ohio-licensed criminal defense attorney. The Ohio State Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service. See the Gambling and Betting section and our Crime and Courts section for related topics. This page is general information, not legal advice.
