O-hi-o? More like O-HIGH-O!
The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported taxable sports wagering revenue of $208.9 million for January on Tuesday, obliterating the post-PASPA era record set earlier this month by New York as part of a stunning set of data points for the launch month in the Buckeye State.
Big numbers were projected in Ohio due to multiple factors, including the simultaneous launch of a large volume of mobile operators and it being a large state with many professional sports teams and rabid fan bases for nearly all of them. Throw in the traditionally aggressive promotional offers online sportsbooks were offering upon launch in a business-friendly state — Ohio’s tax rate is 10% — and the conversion added up to eye-popping numbers practically across the board.
The operator revenue haul last month was about $60 million more than New York’s now short-lived record of $149.9 million. There had been only 12 instances where monthly sports wagering revenue had topped $100 million in the post-PASPA era prior to Ohio’s figures being published, with the Empire State accounting for 10 and New Jersey and Illinois providing one each.
| STATE | Sports Wagering Handle | Month |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $1,799,048,376 | January 2023 |
| New Jersey | $1,348,860,083 | January 2022 |
| OHIO | $1,113,251,403 | January 2023 |
| Nevada | $1,111,044,444 | January 2022 |
| Illinois | $1,029,560,184 | October 2022 |