Can You Bet Online In Ohio

Real Money sports betting in Ohio is currently only available at a select few sportsbooks. Without the ability to bet on games at brick and mortar locations, bettors are required to place their wagers online. While Ohio works towards building better gambling laws, bettors can access international online casinos for all of their online betting needs. With these online Ohio casinos, you will be able to play all of the.

Real Money sports betting in Ohio is currently only available at a select few sportsbooks. Without the ability to bet on games at brick and mortar locations, bettors are required to place their wagers online. Thankfully, there are plenty of top Ohio sports betting sites offering real money action to residents of the Buckeye State.

There are two bills to legalize in the state legislature, but the two bills are at odds with each other philosophically, so it may be a bit of time before Ohio legalizes. Can I bet online on my phone in.

In this guide, we’re going to take an in-depth look at the current legal climate of online betting in the state of Ohio, what betting options are available to residents and guests, and how you can get started with your first real money wager today.

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Why Are These the Top Ohio Sports Betting Sites?

Just because you don’t have as many online sportsbooks to choose from as other states does not mean you should have to settle for subpar options. Our team continues to work hard to ensure we’re only recommending the best Ohio online betting sites available. If there are no great options at any point in time, we’d rather leave this list empty than peddle some second-rate sports betting site.

Thay Payout Real Money Fast

Ohio

All of these Ohio betting sites offer the fastest payouts available in the US. While the exact times you’ll have to wait for payment will vary based on the method you choose, the amount you withdraw, and which site you are using, the average wait time is between a few days and a week at most real money Ohio betting sites. Some options, like cryptocurrency, are much faster with payouts coming in a few hours. Other options, like check by courier, are slower and can take up to 14 business days to arrive.

Wide Array of Betting Options

No matter if you’re looking to bet on OH sports, national sports, or international events, these top online sportsbooks have you covered. We ensure each site covers all major games and offers extensive action on each game. It’s easy to offer one or two bets on a game, but it takes a quality real money sportsbook to offer more. We don’t settle for anything less than the best quality betting sites for Ohio residents.

Safety and Security

You will see zero online sports betting options recommended here that have not passed our rigorous tests for safety, trust, and security. Online betting in Ohio is supposed to be fun and convenient. If you have to worry about the security of your account or your money, all of that becomes impossible. Rest assured, you have nothing to worry about except picking winners when you use these Ohio sports betting sites.

How Popular Is Real Money Sports Betting in Ohio?

Residents of Ohio love to gamble. In 2018, the gross gaming revenue at casinos was an impressive $1.86 billion. This put the state 8th on the list in the US for that year. Couple this with all of the major professional and college sports teams in the state, and you have a recipe for sports fans looking to bet quite a bit.

Once fully-regulated sports betting is rolled out in the state, we’ll be able to get a much more accurate picture of just how popular sports betting sites in Ohio really are.

Ohio Sports Betting Laws

Currently, even the best Ohio sports betting sites operate in a bit of an undefined and gray area. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court repealed legislation that made sports betting illegal across the states. For many, this victory for betting moved online sportsbooks from the gray area into the light.

While they may be right, there’s still a little ambiguity in the process. Technically, the repeal of the legislation just opened up the right for states to make their own laws and rules around how real money sports betting and Ohio sports betting sites would operate.

Many states jumped at the opportunity to secure more tax dollars and rolled out full plans for sportsbooks. Other states, like Ohio, have yet to move forward with legislation. Does this make it illegal for residents? This is the gray area. If you look at the laws laid out by the federal government, there are no issues. If you look at the absence of laws by the states, it could be construed as an issue.

There are full regulation bills currently moving through the state legislature as of April of 2019. The bill, House Bill 194, is receiving bipartisan support with co-sponsorship from Rep. Dave Greenspan (R-Westlake) and Rep. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati).

But the aim is simple—create regulations for real money sports betting in the state of Ohio. The main tenants of the bill would be a 10% tax on sports betting revenues and the granting of oversight of the industry to the state’s lottery commission.

We’re currently awaiting word on the success or failure of House Bill 194 to see what its impact on Ohio sports betting sites will be. For now, you’ll need to use your best judgment on whether you are comfortable betting online in Ohio or not. While we aren’t lawyers, we see absolutely no issues for players using the online betting sites we’ve recommended in this guide. They’re safe, fully-vetted, and have been servicing Ohio residents with real money online sports betting for decades.

Is It Safe to Bet on Sports in Ohio?

Ohio sports betting sites are 100% safe to use as long as you follow some basic safety guidelines.

  • Always use the safest Ohio online betting sites that have been vetted.
  • Never use a weak password.
  • Don’t log into your sports betting account from any public devices.
  • Stay away from your real money betting account if you’re intoxicated, emotional, or not in a clear state of mind.
  • Never wager with more money than you are comfortable losing. There is no such thing as a “lock.”

FAQ on Real Money Betting Sites in Ohio

Getting started with online betting in Ohio is easy and only takes a few minutes. As long as you have access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you're ready to get started.

Select one of the best Ohio sports betting sites recommended here and head over to their website. From there, create your free account. Once created, navigate over to the deposits page and make your first real money deposit. After you do that, navigate over to the sports betting page and pick out your first bet! It's that easy.

You'll have extensive options to put money into your Ohio sports betting account. Different sites will offer different real money deposit options. Typically, they will include:
  • Credit Cards
  • Debit Cards
  • eChecks
  • PayPal
  • Cryptocurrencies
  • Other e-wallets
  • Direct Bank Transfers
Home » US Poker Laws – State by State Reviews » Poker Laws in Ohio

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Poker Laws in Ohio
Last Updated January 6, 2021

Ohioans now have some of the richest variety of land-based poker options in the US, but thousands and thousands of poker players from Ohio are still choosing to play their poker online. It’s fast, it’s easy and it beats a drive through traffic and a multi-hour wait list at the casino poker room.

Despite the popularity of the game, a number of potential online poker players in Ohio still have questions about playing poker for real money online, and it’s our goal with this Guide to Ohio Online Poker to answer those questions – and provide a richer picture of poker in Ohio along the way.

Can You Bet Online In Ohio

Most Recent Online Poker Happenings in Ohio

There has been no talk of legalizing online poker in Ohio.

Oddly enough, many of Ohio’s neighboring states have either proposed bills or officially legalized online poker and casino games. Pennsylvania legalized online gaming in 2017 and launched its first poker and casino sites in 2019. West Virginia legalized online gaming in 2019 and plans to launch sites by 2021. Kentucky and Michigan have both discussed online poker in their respective legislatures.

Ohio, on the other hand, has yet to propose it.

Land-based casinos have been legal since 2012, and daily fantasy sports was legalized in 2017.

The Ohio Lottery is in the process of constructing a proposal to officially put its lottery ticket offerings online. And many lawmakers want legal sports betting, though it is likely to be in brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and not online.

There have been several sports betting bills introduced to the legislature in the past year. One would put the Ohio Lottery Commission in control of the industry and give oversight to the Ohio Casino Commission, but the other would give all control to the Ohio Casino Commission. Even Governor Mike DeWine is supportive of sports betting in general, but the delay seems to be with the agency that would control it.

The Basics of Online Poker and Ohio

You like the action of poker, but you hate the drudgery of getting to the casino. Now you’re ready to try online poker, but searching for Ohio-friendly poker sites just returns a bunch of noise and third-rate websites – until you find our guide. It’s updated. It’s objective. It’s built on the observations of several actual online poker players, players who want the same things out of an online poker room that you do.

Based on those observations and that experience, we’ve built this list of the top Ohio online poker sites for real money.

Can Players From Ohio Play Poker?

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If you’re residing in Ohio and hoping to play real-money online poker, you’re in luck. There are several sites that accept players from Ohio.

Whether you start with a site from our list of the top Ohio online poker rooms above or choose one of the other options for Ohioans, you’ll be looking at a simple process that will have you battling it out with other players from around the world in under an hour.

Ohio Gambling & Poker Laws Summarized

Type/CodeSummary
State Code Section(s)2915; 3763; 3769-3670; 3772; 3774
Definition of Game of ChancePoker, craps, roulette, or other game in which a player gives anything of value in the hope of gain, the outcome of which is determined largely by chance, but does not include bingo.
Definition of Gambling DeviceA book, totalizer, or other equipment for recording bets; a ticket, token, or other device representing a chance, share, or interest in a scheme of chance or evidencing a bet; a deck of cards, dice, gaming table, roulette wheel, slot machine, or other apparatus designed for use in connection with a game of chance; any equipment, device, apparatus, or paraphernalia specially designed for gambling purposes.
Definition of Gambling ProhibitedEstablish, promote, or operate or knowingly engage in conduct that facilitates any game of chance conducted for profit or any scheme of chance; knowingly procure, transmit, exchange, or engage in conduct that facilitates the procurement, transmission, or exchange of information for use in establishing odds or determining winners in connection with bookmaking or with any game of chance conducted for profit or any scheme of chance; engage in betting or in playing any scheme or game of chance as a substantial source of income or livelihood.
Online Poker/GamblingThere have been no solid efforts to legalize and regulate online poker or other types of internet gaming.
Live PokerPoker rooms are available in the large casinos throughout Ohio, each with cash games and tournaments.
CasinosThe Casino Control Act of 2009 legalized casinos in four major cities, and the first one opened in 2012. The law also allowed racetracks to upgrade to racinos by installing video gambling machines in order to compete with the new casinos, though they do not offer table games like poker.
Sports BettingThere is a bill pending in Ohio that could be constructed to legalize sports betting, but legislators have chosen not to address it yet.
DFSOhio lawmakers legalized daily fantasy sports in late 2017.
Other Forms of GamblingHorse racing and on-track pari-mutuel betting, bingo and games of chance for charitable organizations, lottery, social gambling.

All Poker and Gambling Laws by State

Ohio in the News
  • The Golden State Warriors are strong favorites to win their NBA Finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has the Warriors a -260 favorite, while the Cavs are a +220 underdog. This is the third straight year the two teams have played in the NBA Finals.

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  • Investigators say a Cincinnati man’s murder of a 64-year old man was due to mounting gambling debts. By the time Donald Dawson-Durgan murdered his former benefactor, he was $46,000 in debt. A jury in Judge Tom Heekin’s Hamilton County Common Pleas Court is deliberating over the evidence. Deliberations begin anew

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Is Playing Online Poker Legal in Ohio?

We’re not lawyers, nor are we qualified to offer legal advice. Our solitary goal with this section is to communicate the absolute basics of Ohio gambling law and to encourage you to then review the Ohio statutes yourself (online version can be found below).

Can You Bet Online In Ohio

After doing so, you’ll realize what many others have already learned: Ohio gambling law is complicated and involves a good deal of information beyond the statutes to fully comprehend. That’s why we always encourage players with questions about the legality of online poker to consult with a lawyer for authoritative answers.
Let’s walk through some of the basic points of Ohio gambling law:

Unlike most states, Ohio does not offer a formal definition of gambling. Instead, we can arrive at their working definition by looking at the misdemeanor charge of gambling (Section 2915.02), which covers bookmaking, promoting games of chance, exchanging information that facilitates bookmaking or games of chance and engaging in “any scheme or game of chance as a substantial source of income or livelihood” (Section 2915.02(4)).

Sports Betting Online In Ohio

That last part is important. Ohio law is specifically constructed to dole out heavier punishments to those who gamble for a living. Note that taking part in an illegal poker game would not necessarily be illegal in and of itself; players must draw a “substantial source of income” from the activity to trigger the charge detailed above.

Players who don’t meet that standard could still face some criminal exposure under Ohio law, but it’s a bit of a longshot. For example, Section 2915.04 makes it a crime (misdemeanor) to play games of chance in public places like resorts and halls.

On to “games of chance,” which are defined very specifically under Ohio law:

“Poker, craps, roulette, or other game in which a player gives anything of value in the hope of gain, the outcome of which is determined largely by chance, but does not include bingo” (Section 2915.01(D)).

Famous Ohio Poker Players

There are some live poker rooms in Ohio, namely in Toledo, Columbus, and Northfield. There are few large live tournament series that play in those casinos, but the poker rooms do provide a breeding ground for new players.

Many players in Ohio also got their start playing online poker. David Peters is one of them, who is now a high-stakes live poker player who is the sixth winningest player in the world with more than $33.4 million in live winnings.

Sports Wagering Ohio

Byron Kaverman certainly got his start in poker in home games with friends and in the poker rooms in Ohio, and he has gone on to win more than $15 million in his career. He spent years honing his game online and was one of the launching pads for him and many others in his generation of players.

David “Chip” Reese hailed from Ohio. His live poker winnings totaled nearly $4 million before his untimely death in 2007. He is one of the most respected players in the game’s history, known mostly for his fierce cash game play.

As of 2021, the top-ranked live poker players in Ohio history were listed as:

1. David Peters ($33.4 million)
2. Byron Kaverman ($15.1 million)
3. Keven Stammen ($6.1 million)
4. Jacob Bazeley ($4.5 million)
5. David Reese ($4 million)
6. Joe Ebanks ($3.3 million)
7. Adam Friedman ($3.1 million)
8. Shawn Cunix ($2.3 million)
9. Joseph Couden ($2.3 million)
10. Samuel Phillips ($2.2 million)

Can I Bet Online In Ohio

Ohio Gambling Overview

List of Regulated Gambling Options in Ohio

The sole major form of regulated gambling not on the menu in Ohio is tribal gambling. Otherwise, you can run the gamut in the state – play the lottery, get in a few pari-mutuel bets on races, engage in any of the multiple forms of charitable gambling that get the official state nod or spend a night at Ohio’s brand-spanking new commercial casinos.

List of Regulated Online Gambling Options in Ohio

While Ohio has a bountiful assortment of regulated land-based gambling, the state offers exactly zero regulated online gambling options. This doesn’t necessarily disqualify all forms of online betting from existing legally in Ohio – it just means there’s no such thing as an online poker room or casino licensed or regulated by the state.

Sources & Citations For This Article on Ohio Online Poker