Ohio Sports Betting - The Best Betting Sites for July 2024

Ohio sports betting has been legal since January 1, 2023, and the landscape has changed significantly since then.

There are currently 19 online sportsbooks legal in Ohio, with a couple more currently holding a “conditional” approval status. That means before long bettors could have north of 20 options to choose from.

While all that choice is undeniably good for bettors in the state, it can make deciding on which sportsbook to use a seriously daunting task. Between varying odds, promotions (both new-user offers and ongoing promos), boosts, sport offering and features, there’s a lot to keep in mind for your decision.

That’s what we’re here to help out with. Let’s walk through the best sports betting sites in Ohio, and why these five stand out ahead of the rest.

Best Betting Sites For Ohio

The first thing you'll want to do is narrow down the list. While all 19 sportsbooks have their different strengths and weaknesses, five really stand out ahead of the rest: FanDuel Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook, bet365, Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM.

1. Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook is offering a huge $1,000 bonus for new users. Sign up through the link below and deposit at least $10, and after that you'll automatically receive up to $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win!

The bonus only pays out if your first bet loses, and that bet must be between $10 and $1,000 to trigger the bonus. If you don't win, the bonus equalling the amount you wagered (i.e. a $250 bonus if your first bet was a $250 loss) will automatically hit your account.

Caesars is one of the best known names in Las Vegas, so it only makes sense that it’s a major player in the online sports betting industry in Ohio. The focus on in-person casinos does seem to detract from the quality of the online sportsbook offerings when compared to some of the other big names in the industry.

Pros

• Varied sports offerings
• "Caesars Rewards" player recognition system
• Simple web interface

Cons

• Sluggish mobile app
• Limited live in-game betting options
• Rarely offers the best odds

2. bet365

bet365's new-user promo doesn't reach the lofty $1,000-plus heights that some other books' does, but it's also one of the few guaranteed bonuses currently offered. New users who sign up and deposit $10 or more simply need to place a $5 wager on any game. After that, whether your bet wins or loses, you automatically receive $150 in bonus bets.

While bet365 is relatively new in the U.S. betting space, they are a long-established industry leader in the UK, and have been for years. This long history of operation makes them a very reliable choice for new and experienced bettors alike.

Pros

• Long-standing reputation as an industry leader
• Huge number of sports available for wagering
• Large number of regular odds boosts
• "Early win" payouts in some sports

Cons

• Mobile app and web interface are outdated
• Reputation for being quick to limit winning bettors

3. DraftKings Sportsbook

DraftKings Sportsbook's new-user offer is very similar to the one bet365 is offering. Sign up through the link above and deposit $10 to unlock the offer, which awards an instant $150 bonus after placing your first $5 wager. That instant payout means you don't even need to wait to find out if your first bet won or lost.

DraftKings is one of the industry leaders in the United States, and for good reason. They have all major US sports covered with tons of betting options, as well as plenty of markets for smaller sports too. The website and mobile app experiences are both among the best in the industry, and the regular offerings of promos and odds boosts make it an appealing choice.

Pros

• Frequent promotions and odds boosts for existing users
• Competitive odds
• User-friendly mobile and web app experience

Cons

• Rewards/loyalty system is not simple
• Different payment methods accepted in different states

4. FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook's new-user offer in July is an interesting one, offering a potential $200 bonus on your first $5 bet. The one catch is that your first bet must be a winner to unlock the bonus. This means you'll want to bet on a heavy favorite, especially because there is no odds requirement. Save your favorite underdog bet for after you claim your offer so that you maximize your chances of receiving that $200 bonus.

FanDuel is by far the most popular sportsbook in the U.S. market, and they are also a big leader in most legal states. This is in part because they are the easiest book to use, with a better user experience than anyone else is offering.

Pros

• Most user-friendly website and mobile app
• Easy to navigate and fast-loading interfaces
• Large array of betting options available
• Frequent promos and odds boosts
• Strong live betting and cash-out options
• 24/7 live-chat customer support

Cons

• Sometimes hard to find specific promotions/boosts
• Odds are sometimes less favorable than other books

5. BetMGM

BetMGM is offering the biggest sign-up bonus of the group — with up to $2,000 available. After you sign up and deposit $10, you'll be awarded a bonus equal to the amount of your first bet (up to $2,000) if that bet loses. So if you bet $500 and lose then you get a $500 bonus. If you bet $1,000 it's a $1,000 bonus, and so on.

BetMGM is another company with a large presence in the brick-and-mortar gaming space, giving them a rock-solid reputation and making them a very reliable option. This does leave them trailing behind some of the newer books in terms of their technology, but many users find it worthwhile to look past that flaw.

Pros

• Regular promotions and bonuses for existing users
• Many niche betting offerings, including esports
• Great rewards/loyalty program (integrated with the broader MGM Resorts reward system)

Cons

• Website can be hard to navigate
• Mobile app sometimes slow or unresponsive

Is Sports Betting Legal in Ohio?

Yes, you can bet on sports at casinos, racetracks and your mobile device in Ohio.

Ohio became the 33rd state to have legal sports betting on January 1, 2023, just over a year after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 29 into law in late December of 2021. 

Sports Betting in Ohio For June/July

The summer tends to be a slow season in sports, but that doesn't mean Ohio bettors are lacking options to wager on. Consider some of the following:

• MLB regular season
• MLB All-Star Game
• Wimbledon Tennis
• UFC 304
• NASCAR
• Formula 1
• PGA Tour

Best Betting Site For Apps

If you're focused on a good mobile app, the two best sports betting sites in Ohio are FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook.

Both have very easy to navigate interfaces as well as quick load times. FanDuel's app tends to be a bit more responsive and fast-loading than DraftKings', but both really stand out ahead of the rest of the industry on this front.

The apps also include live streaming of certain sporting events, letting you sweat your bets live in the app — where you can also double down with live in-game bets, or cash out your wager.

For more, check out our full guide to the best sports betting apps in Ohio.

Best Betting Site For Offers

If you're looking for the best sign-up bonuses, then the Ohio Sportsbooks you'll want to check out now are bet365, FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook.

The huge dollar values on BetMGM and Caesars' offers are definitely enticing, but unless you're a high-roller willing to put a ton of money down then you're not going to get as much value out of them.

FanDuel's is realistically the best of the group. It may not be guaranteed, but considering it has no minimum odds, you can find an obscure -5000 favorite in a niche sport to get yourself something that is incredibly likely to lose. Obviously your $5 wager wouldn't return much, but the win would unlock your $200 bonus.

And DraftKings and bet365 are self explanatory. Only having to deposit $10 and wager $5 to get $150 in bonuses to work with on each site is amazing value.

Click here to see our full breakdown of the best Ohio sports betting promo offers.

Is Prizepicks Legal in Ohio?

PrizePicks is not legal in Ohio, and the variety of Daily Fantasy Sports that they offer is specifically excluded in Ohio's gambling laws. Because of this, it seems unlikely that PrizePicks will be able to operate in Ohio for any time in the foreseeable future either.

The closest states that PrizePicks does operate in are Michigan and Kentucky.

Ohio Sports Betting Licenses

Ohio grants licenses to specific properties who pair with sports betting partners to offer online betting. Below is a full list of the licenses: