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Online gambling in Ohio 2025

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Checked by Paul P.

Online gambling in Ohio has had a major update in recent years as the state introduced sports betting.

While sweeps and social casinos are available, traditional online casinos and online poker are not yet regulated. I will highlight any updates in Ohio gambling laws.

On this page, I’ll introduce you to all the gambling options available in the Buckeye State, talk about the gambling age in Ohio, and discover what’s in store for the state in the future.

Online gambling taxes in Ohio

Ohio has a few legal online gambling options, including sports betting, daily fantasy sports, horse race betting, and sweepstakes casinos. Online sportsbooks are fully legal and regulated; however, Ohio residents cannot place live prop wagers on college games.

Real-money online casinos and online poker are, however, currently illegal in the state of Ohio.

If you win money online in Ohio, you’ll have to pay Ohio state gaming taxes. All gambling winnings are taxed at a flat rate of 4%, and if you win more than $600, the state automatically withholds 4% of your winnings at the time of payout.

Is the tax rate different for each type of gambling?

Ohio taxes all money won online at a flat 4% rate, irrespective of the type of gambling. The state will apply the same 4% tax on winnings; however, the only difference is in withholding.

So, if you win more than $600, the online sportsbook will automatically hold back 4% of those winnings at the time of paying out your winnings. If you win under $600, the sportsbook won’t hold back anything; however, you still have to declare and pay the 4% tax when filing your Ohio state tax return.

It’s worth mentioning that some Ohio cities have additional taxes on gaming winnings. Here are the relevant cities and the tax rates applicable when winning money online in each one:

How does your income affect taxes in Ohio?

Your income does affect taxes in Ohio, especially when it comes to gambling winnings. Here’s how:

1. State income tax brackets

Ohio works on a tiered income tax system, meaning the more you earn, the higher the tax bracket you fall in. In 2024, the state tax rates range from 2.75% to 3.75% for those earning over $26,050.

If your total income is under $26,050, you won’t owe state income tax on anything (including money won online)

If your total income is above $26,050, your gambling winnings are added to your taxable income, and you’ll pay the applicable rate based on your income bracket.

2. Gambling winnings and Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

All money won from gambling online counts as income and must be disclosed on your state tax return.

The more you win, the more your income increases and this pushes you into a higher tax bracket, meaning you’re liable for more taxes at the end of the day.

3. Deductions for gambling losses

Ohio does not allow you to deduct gambling losses on your state taxes.

However, on federal taxes, if you itemize deductions, you can write off losses up to the amount of your winnings.

4. Local city taxes

If you live or win money in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Toledo, you owe local taxes on top of the 4% state tax.

These city taxes are based on your income and must be paid regardless of whether your income is from gambling or your job.

Here’s a table showing what your income, plus gambling winnings tax rates, would look like:

Base Income + Gambling WinningsState Tax RateGambling Winnings4% Gambling TaxTotal Tax
$25,000 + $00%$0$0.000% on total income + $0.00
$25,000 + $1,0000%$1,000$40.000% on total income + $40.00
$25,000 + $5,0002.75%$5,000$200.002.75% on total income + $200.00
$25,000 + $10,0002.75%$10,000$400.002.75% on total income + $400.00
$25,000 + $25,0002.75%$25,000$1,000.002.75% on total income + $1,000.00

So, in short, your total income affects how much tax you pay on gambling winnings in Ohio. If your winnings push you into a higher tax bracket, you could end up paying more state taxes overall.

How to pay gambling taxes in Ohio?

In this section, I’ll show you how to pay your Ohio state taxes if you win money gambling online:

1. Report all winnings

2. File federal taxes first

3. File your Ohio state tax return

4. Pay estimated taxes

5. Choose how to pay

Tax breakdown for players in Ohio

Here’s a simple breakdown of gambling taxes for Ohio players:

Sports betting sites

Sweepstakes sites

What happens if you don’t report gambling winnings in Ohio?

If you fail to report and pay Ohio state taxes, as well as federal taxes, then you could be liable for fines and penalties. This is more so if the IRS decides to do an audit on you and finds that you’ve been withholding gambling winnings taxes. 

They may also impose possible interest charges, and the state of Ohio may also impose penalties. This means that you may be liable for even more than what you owe. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to keep track of all your online gaming winnings and make sure you openly disclose and pay taxes in the state of Ohio.

Online casinos Not yet legal

Does Ohio allow online gambling? Online gambling in Ohio doesn’t include online casinos for real money at this moment in time. However, with Ohio recently introducing sports betting legislation and horse racing, it might just be a matter of time for the state to also regulate slots and table casino games.

Until that happens, players in Ohio can opt to play casino games at sweepstakes casinos like Wow Vegas or maybe even at social casinos like BetRivers.net. These types of casinos offer the same online gaming experience you’d find in other states. The only difference is that you don’t play for real money.

At social casinos, you can play for free, but there’s no money to withdraw. At sweepstakes casinos, you can still play for free, but you have a chance to convert your virtual coins into redeemable prizes.

Online betting sites Legal since 2021

In December 2021, House Bill 29 was signed into law, which was the first step to online gambling in Ohio. It took until January 2023 for Ohio gambling laws to come to fruition.

In just a few days, Ohio saw significant sports betting sites moving into the state – this was because the law wanted all the different operators to launch simultaneously. The licensing process is ongoing, and we may see other sportsbooks entering the Ohio arena. In the meantime, social sites like Fliff sportsbook offer some more variety.

Online sportsbooksLicensed byLaunch year
ThrillzThrillz Inc.2024
SportzinoBlazesoft2023
Crab SportsCrab Sports Inc.2023
BetrBetr Media2023
DraftKingsHollywood Casino Toledo2023
CaesarsScioto Downs, Inc.2023
BetMGMMGM Northfield Park2023
BetRiversHollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway2023
Bet365 sportsbookCleveland Guardians Baseball Company2023
FanDuelBelterra Park2023
WynnBetJACK Thistledown Racino2023
PointsBetHollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley2023
BarstoolHollywood Casino Columbus2023
FliffFliff Inc.2018

What else is legal in the state?

Ohio gambling laws have quickly caught up with the times when it comes to sports. However, we’re still seeing some movement in the Buckeye state regarding casino play. As for the gambling age in Ohio, this tends to vary according to which type of activity you want to go for.

While the gambling age in Ohio for casino and sports betting is 21 years old, 16-year-olds can legally play bingo offline. Most other activities, including lottery and horse racing, have a legal age of 18 years.

Type of gamblingOffline ageOnline ageLegal online since
Casino21N/AN/A
Sports betting21212021
Horse-racing18182021
Social casinosN/A18N/A
Poker21N/AN/A
Lottery18N/AN/A
Bingo16N/AN/A
Keno18N/AN/A

Is online gambling in Ohio safe?

Yes, gambling in Ohio is safe if you do this at licensed operators. Remember that the state regulates only sports betting and horse racing. Online casino games like slots, poker, and table games are not.

So if you find yourself gambling on any casino games in Ohio, there’s a chance you’re doing this at an offshore casino. Offshore casinos aren’t bad as such, but they are not under any scrutiny of US jurisdiction which keeps you safe.

Here at Time2play, we’ll only point you towards those operators licensed in the US, in this case, legal Ohio gambling sites.

FAQs

Is online gambling legal in Ohio?

Yes, some forms of online gambling are legal in Ohio. Online casinos and poker are not available to play for real money. However, you can bet on sports and horses or else try out the many social and sweepstakes casinos on offer.

Can you gamble online in Ohio?

Yes, you can gamble online for real money in Ohio. If you’re wondering how to gamble online in Ohio, you can only do it on sports or horse racing.

What is the legal gambling age in Ohio?

The legal gambling age in Ohio differs according to the type of gambling you want to participate in. For casinos, the age is 21, but for horse racing, it’s 18.

Sources

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