Following the announcement that Ohio lawmakers officially passed a measure to legalize retail and online sports wagering in December 2021 and that both officially became legal on the first day of this year, the state has now exceeded $4 billion in total legal sports wagering handle in 2023, even though July 2023 wasn’t the greatest when it came to sports wagering, according to the Cleveland.com news.

Slowest month:

The Ohio Casino Control Commission and Ohio Lottery Commission unveiled data from July, which is usually a “slower summer month” when it comes to betting because the NBA and NFL seasons begin in the autumn, showing that total wagering revenue for the said month was under $332 million, dropping from $363 million in June. Although the sports wagering handle is down 8.6% from the June sports wagering handle, the taxes do not show that drop, according to Cleveland.com.

The reason for this is that the state “doubled” the tax on sports wagering from 10% to 20% at the start of the mentioned month. Also, according to the latest tax law, Ohio was able to collect $61.4 million in tax profits. As for the firms, when they finished paying out winnings and voided bets, they had a combined income of $37.2 million, an increase from $32.6 million in June, regardless of the fall in wagering activity.

Furthermore, the Lottery Commission disclosed its report in mid-August describing the gaming kiosks.

Most bets come from mobile apps:

During the first seven months of legalization, Ohio residents wagered “just under $4.2 billion” via mobile-wagering apps, physical sportsbooks and lottery kiosks. However, the bulk of the wagers, just more than $4 billion, were placed via mobile apps. On that note, specifically during July, the state’s 18 wagering apps collected $320 million in wagers, 14 brick-and-mortar wagering parlors brought in $11.5 million, and lottery kiosks brought in $847.000 in bets. In addition, for the first time since wagering officially became legal in Ohio, for the first time DraftKings was in first place as it generated $116.1 million in wagers, and FanDuel took second place as it generated $106.6 million in bets.

Sports betting income to be invested in the Problem Sports Gambling Fund:

Since Responsible Gaming Education Month officially kicked off in September, the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio (PGNO) which has made a major commitment to “protect players and expand the support service workforce,” has been recognized and chosen as a finalist in the Responsible Gaming category at the 2023 American Gambling Awards. Relatedly, plans are underway to invest 2% of Ohio’s sports wagering income into the Problem Sports Gambling Fund.

Furthermore, when speaking about its nomination, PGNO CEO Derek Longmeier, said: “We are committed to the gambling support service system, and it is truly rewarding to be recognized for our contributions in this space.”