The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported a record $1.13 billion in sports betting handle for October as Buckeye State bettors look to be solidly backing their flagship college football program.
The figure bettered the previous standard of $1.11 billion established during the launch month of January 2023 and was up 25.7% compared to last year.
The new record figure and the previous record are only $20.8 million apart, but the amount of actual money wagered was far higher in October. The $38.6 million promotional spend for the month pales next to the $320 million in credits and bonuses lavished upon Ohio bettors nearly three years ago when mobile sportsbooks battled to gain an early foothold.
The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, who covered point spreads of 15.5 points or more in all three of their victories, are a likely linchpin in the record handle.
Sportsbooks finished the month with an 8.7% hold and $98.5 million in adjusted gross revenue. Taxable winnings were up 20.7% compared to last year, with the state collecting $19.7 million in receipts. The $61.8 million accrued in the first four months of the fiscal year is running $3.3 million ahead of last year’s pace.
FanDuel’s deep pockets dominate
FanDuel has never been shy about trying to drum up business in Ohio. It accounted for more than half that aforementioned $320 million spend at launch and nearly half the outlay among the Buckeye State’s 14 mobile sportsbooks in October with $18.3 million. FanDuel’s promotional spend was up 43.6% from last year, and its $104.6 million in credits and bonuses in 2025 is $4.4 million shy of its $108.9 million total spend in 2024.
That October promotional spend was more than 50% of its $34.9 million AGR as the digital colossus posted a near-9% hold on $389.6 million handle. Revenue ticked only 1.1% higher compared to the 26.8% increase in handle. FanDuel also surpassed $8 billion in total wagering in the Buckeye State.
DraftKings finished a closer second in revenue than handle to its eternal rival, coming $429,045 short in the former and $13.3 million in the latter. Revenue increased 33.8% from October 2024 as DK’s 9.2% win rate was up more than one-half of a percentage point.
In a similar strategy used in Pennsylvania, DraftKings sharply cut back on promotional spend compared to both September and the previous year. The $8.1 million outlay was down 46.6% from the previous month and 27% from last year.
Bet365 was the only other operator to surpass $2 million in credits and bonuses in October with $4.3 million. That helped the England-based sportsbook claim third place for revenue ($7.3 million) and handle ($81.6 million) as it posted a 9% hold.
Winnings were up 20.2%, outpacing the 13% bump in handle. Bet365’s promotional spending pattern is tracking in similar fashion to 2023 and 2024. Its $9.7 million in credits and bonuses the last two months — while down 10% from last year — represent 45% of its year-to-date spend.
BetMGM, Fanatics still battling for fourth
BetMGM again held off Fanatics for fourth in both key metrics, though the gap between the pair shrank versus September. BetMGM attained an 8% win rate in keeping $5.5 million of $68.3 million wagered. That was up 38.6% from last year as BetMGM has cleared $150 million in AGR this year.
Fanatics had a 49.4% surge in handle to $62.3 million and a 64.3% climb in revenue to $4.8 million. Its 7.8% hold was up seven-tenths of a percentage point year-over-year and more than 2.3 percentage points from September.
Outgoing ESPN Bet ($3 million), Caesars ($2.9 million), and Hard Rock Bet ($2.6 million) completed the list of eight mobile sportsbooks to reach seven figures in October revenue. ESPN Bet posted a 9% or better hold for the seventh consecutive month, landing at 9.6%, leading to a 47.5% rise in revenue. When combining ESPN Bet’s handle with the 10 months-plus of wagering offered by predecessor Barstool Sportsbook, Penn Entertainment has surpassed $1 billion handle in Ohio.
