Ohio sports gambling soars with over $6 billion in bets

It’s been almost two years since sports gambling became legal in Ohio, and so far in 2024, Ohioans have placed more than $6 billion in bets.

When it comes to big sporting events, like the upcoming College Football Playoff, experts say it’s almost a guarantee that even more people will want to get in on the action.

“Gambling is fun, especially gambling on sporting events,” says Dr. Kevin Willardsen, Associate Professor of Economics at Wright State University. “It combines two things that people enjoy. They enjoy watching sporting events and betting with their friends.”

Of the $6 billion wagered on sports bets in Ohio in 2024, an estimated $900 million was wagered in October alone, the highest monthly total since January of 2023, when sports betting first became legal in the state.