Ohio Sports Betting Boosts Viewership along with Calls for Help

The statewide expansion of sports betting granted millions of Americans access to legal wagering. With the majority of the states offering some form of betting, including retail and mobile options, only a dozen states are yet to legalize it.

Ohio, a state with nearly 12 million residents, legalized sports betting at the start of 2023. The launch enabled bettors to place legal wagers on a wide range of sports, while fresh tax revenue boosted the state’s coffers.

With the 2024 Olympics marking the first time Ohioans can legally wager on a range of sports, betting continues to attract new customers. However, the expansion and growth of the activity don’t come without concerns. Across the country, gambling addiction hotlines have seen a surge in calls ever since the expansion of legal wagering began in 2018.

Ohio is no exception where the state’s Problem Gambling Helpline has seen a notable increase in its calls. As announced by Mahoning Matters, citing data from Ohio for Responsible Gambling, the number of calls to the gambling helpline in the state increased by a staggering 55.6%.

While in 2022, there were 6,835 calls, the number of calls by people who sought help increased exponentially to 10,637 in 2023. Notably, 2023 was the first full year of legal sports betting action in Ohio.

On the bright side, Ohio’s tax revenue collections after the first year of legal betting action were closer to $1 billion. In total, the state collected $936 million from legal sports wagering. A portion of those proceeds also help combat gambling harm and provide support for people affected by problem gambling.

More People Are Watching Sports Because of Betting

Currently, bettors in Ohio can choose from nearly two dozen mobile betting operators, as well as 15 retail sports wagering outlets. Not unexpectedly, leaders such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, PointsBet and Caesars have already set foot in the lucrative market.

Unlike traditional betting on the outcome of a sports event, modern sportsbooks provide a range of other options, including parlay and prop bets. While prop bets and parlay wagers are enjoying popularity, more people are interested in sports, primarily because of the wide range of betting options.

“People are definitely watching sports that they have not watched before due to gambling – there is no question about it,“

Stephen Shapiro, professor with the University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina’s professor with the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, Stephen Shapiro, acknowledged that more bettors are watching sports they haven’t watched before because of the options available for betting. “It leads to more consumption and consumption of sports that you’re not typically watching,” he explained.

Shapiro spoke about the wide range of bets available on specific actions from each game. Still, he acknowledged the importance of legal wagering, explaining that the activity generates gambling tax revenue. At the same time, Shapiro noted that there are bettors wagering in states where the activity isn’t legal, but those transactions are completed via black market or offshore operators, and this deprives the state of tax revenue.