Ohio Sportsbooks Claim $87.7M in Revenue for September

The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported $87.7 million in adjusted gross sports betting revenue for September on Friday, with operators posting slight gains over the previous year.

Taxable sportsbook winnings were up 12.7% from 2025 as the 9.3% hold was more than 1.2 percentage points higher. September's gains outpaced 7% year-to-date revenue growth, with licensees totaling $721.6 million through the first three quarters.

Handle dipped 2.3% to $945.3 million, with a 17.7% decline in promotional spending a likely contributor to the small downturn. The $7.07 billion worth of accepted wagers in 2026 is practically flat compared to the same period in 2025.

The state collected an estimated $17.5 million in tax revenue, and the $134.9 million generated in 2026 is $9.4 million ahead of last year's pace.

Spend to Defend, Spend to Advance

The start of the pro and college football seasons is when mobile sportsbooks make a concerted push to retain bettors and acquire new ones. That brings an annual uptick in promotional spending unlike any other time of year.

The $38.5 million lavished on the betting public was down nearly $8.3 million from September 2025, but the seven operators that make up most of the spend arrived there differently.

Both FanDuel and DraftKings pulled back from the previous September: FanDuel's $13.4 million outlay was 24.6% lower, while DraftKings' $10.2 million in redeemed offers fell 33.4%. The pair had different year-over-year handle results, with FanDuel up 4.7% to a state-best $320.5 million and DraftKings down 10.4% to $306.9 million.

Ohio has long been a market bet365 has prioritized; it was the first state where the England-based sportsbook participated in a "Day 1" multi-operator launch back in 2023. Its notably high spending has helped bet365 carve out a clear No. 3 spot for handle.

While FanDuel and DraftKings pulled back, bet365 reached deeper into its pockets. Its $8.6 million in credits and bonuses was up 25.9% from 2025. It remains to be seen whether bet365 will match its aggressive fourth-quarter promo spend from last year, when the $25.9 million outlay represented close to one-third of its full-year total.

The wild card is Hard Rock, whose $7.4 million spend has nearly matched its full-year 2025 total of $7.9 million. It hasn't done much to move Hard Rock up the pecking order; if anything, it's now pushing Caesars for sixth while distancing itself from eighth-place theScore Bet.

Hard Rock's $2.4 million in credits and bonuses for September was its third-highest monthly spend in Ohio and the most since November 2024. It boosted handle 23.5% to $29.4 million, trailing only last November's $30 million-plus in accepted wagers.

What All That Spending Gets You

FanDuel eked out a narrow revenue win over DraftKings in September, with the eternal rivals separated by less than $105,000. FanDuel's $28.9 million in winnings fell 11.9% from a year ago because its 9% hold was 1.7 percentage points lower.

DraftKings' revenue surged 33.1% because its hold was three percentage points higher than last year at 9.4%. Bet365 claimed the final podium spot with $8.8 million, an 8.7% dip as its win rate plunged more than three percentage points to 9.5%. Bet365 hasn't posted a 10%+ hold since a 10-month streak of double-digit win rates ended in January.

BetMGM and Fanatics rounded out the top five with $5.5 million and $4.8 million, respectively. BetMGM posted a 36.3% revenue bounce despite a 2.7% slip in handle, as its hold rose from 6.7% to 9.4%.

Fanatics' winnings spiked 68.2% as its win rate jumped three percentage points. It was a good month for Fanatics overall, with its handle up 8.6% to $56.9 million while its promotional spend fell 26.1% to $1.8 million.

And Hard Rock? Revenue jumped 40% to $3.3 million, its second-best total in state history, behind the $3.5 million it claimed at launch in January 2023. It attained an 11.4% hold, its best since closing out last year with a 13.6% win rate.