State Guide · OhioOhio Online Gambling Guide
Sweepstakes casinos available and one of the largest remaining markets in the US. Licensed sports betting legal since January 2023, but no online casino. Prediction markets accessible through Kalshi, though Ohio's Casino Control Commission has issued a $5 million fine notice and continues to contest CFTC federal preemption.
No statute or AG guidance prohibiting sweepstakes casino operations. The no-purchase-necessary model remains outside Ohio's gambling prohibition. Major platforms are accessible and Ohio is one of the largest remaining US sweepstakes markets.
Online sports betting legal since January 1, 2023, regulated by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Online casino gaming remains illegal in Ohio. Ilegislation to add it stalled in 2025 and has not been refiled in active form.
Kalshi operates in Ohio but faces a $5 million OCCC fine notice (April 2026) and a March 2026 federal court ruling that Ohio sports gambling law applies and is not preempted by the Commodity Exchange Act. Sixth Circuit appeal fast-tracked but stay denied.
Ohio is one of the most commercially significant gambling states in the US. The sports betting market launched on January 1, 2023 and grew rapidly into one of the highest-handle markets nationally, with the Ohio Casino Control Commission licensing more than a dozen online operators. Sweepstakes casinos remain widely available, unaffected by the 2025 wave of state bans, and Ohio is now one of the largest active sweepstakes markets in the country. Online casino gaming is not legal, and two bills that attempted to link its legalisation to a sweepstakes ban stalled in 2025 without advancing. The most complex picture is in prediction markets: Ohio's OCCC is the most aggressive state regulator in the country on this issue, having issued a $5 million fine to Kalshi in April 2026 after a federal district court ruled that the Commodity Exchange Act does not preempt Ohio's sports gambling law. Kalshi continues to operate in Ohio pending a fast-tracked Sixth Circuit appeal, but the legal foundation for that access is materially weaker in Ohio than in the Third Circuit states (NJ, PA, DE).
State Law Breakdown
Ohio's gambling framework is primarily set by ORC Chapter 2915 (criminal gambling offenses), ORC Chapter 3772 (casino control), and ORC Chapter 3775 (sports gaming). The sweepstakes industry operates outside the criminal gambling definition through the no-consideration exemption. Prediction market access turns on the contested preemption question between the federal Commodity Exchange Act and Ohio's sports gaming statutes.
Defines the core elements of gambling in Ohio: a "scheme of chance" for "consideration" with an opportunity to win a "thing of value." Sweepstakes casinos sidestep this definition by removing the consideration element through the no-purchase-necessary model. A free alternative method of entry (AMOE) satisfies Ohio's requirement that participation not require payment. The definition also underlies the OCCC's argument that Kalshi's sports event contracts constitute a "scheme of chance" for consideration.
Makes operating or participating in an unlicensed scheme of chance a misdemeanor of the first degree. Exemptions include charitable gaming, licensed casino gaming, sports betting, and — critically for sweepstakes casinos — schemes that do not require consideration to enter. As long as a sweepstakes platform provides a genuine free-to-play alternative, it falls outside this prohibition. No Ohio AG opinion has targeted sweepstakes casinos operating under a valid AMOE model.
Enacted through HB 29 (134th General Assembly), signed by Governor DeWine in December 2021, effective for launch January 1, 2023. Authorises the OCCC to issue Type A (online) and Type B (retail) sports gaming licences. Sets a 20% gross revenue tax on licensed operators. The chapter defines "sports gaming" broadly, and the OCCC has taken the position that Kalshi's sports event contracts fall within this definition, requiring an OCCC licence before they can be offered to Ohio residents.
Establishes civil and criminal penalties for operating a casino or gaming facility without an OCCC licence. The OCCC has cited this section as the basis for its $5 million fine notice to Kalshi (April 14, 2026). Penalties can include fines per violation, licence revocation for Ohio-licensed operators that partner with unlicensed platforms, and referral to the Ohio Attorney General for criminal enforcement. The OCCC exercised this last power on August 25, 2025, warning all licensed sportsbooks that partnering with Kalshi risked their Ohio licences.
Kalshi argues that as a CFTC-designated contract market, it operates under exclusive federal jurisdiction under the Commodity Exchange Act and Ohio's sports gaming law cannot apply. U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison rejected that argument in March 2026, ruling that "history reveals no evidence that Congress intended to preempt state sports gambling laws." She denied Kalshi's preliminary injunction request. The Sixth Circuit denied an emergency stay on April 24, 2026, in KalshiEX LLC v. Schuler (No. 26-3196), though it fast-tracked the appeal. This is the direct opposite of the Third Circuit's April 6, 2026 ruling, which found for Kalshi in the NJ/PA/DE jurisdiction.
Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), Columbus. The OCCC regulates casinos, sports betting, and skill-based amusements, and has taken the most aggressive enforcement stance against prediction market operators of any state regulator in 2025 and 2026.
Sweepstakes Casinos in Ohio
Sweepstakes casinos are available in Ohio. The no-purchase-necessary promotional model falls outside the gambling prohibition under ORC § 2915.02, and no Ohio statute or AG opinion has targeted sweepstakes casinos operating with a valid alternative method of entry. House Bill 298, which would have banned sweepstakes casinos while simultaneously legalising online casino gaming, stalled in the 2025 legislative session without reaching a vote. Ohio is now one of the largest remaining sweepstakes markets in the country, with major platforms actively serving the state. The table below includes sweepstakes platforms profiled on Wager Layer that are confirmed active in Ohio, sorted by T&C Risk Score descending.
T&C Risk Scores based on Wager Layer's analysis of each platform's current Terms of Service. Only platforms profiled on Wager Layer are listed. Availability verified against platform T&Cs and Ohio legal framework. Source: ORC § 2915.01; ORC § 2915.02 · Accessed May 2026.
Licensed Operators in Ohio
Ohio offers licensed online sports betting only. Online casino gaming is not legal and no active bill to legalise it has advanced in the 2026 session. The Ohio Casino Control Commission issues Type A (online) and Type B (retail) sports gaming licences. More than a dozen operators are currently active. The table includes OCCC-licensed operators profiled on Wager Layer, verified against the OCCC public licence register and sorted by T&C Risk Score descending.
Ohio does not currently license online casino gaming. Products listed above are sportsbook only. College player proposition bets are prohibited at all OCCC-licensed operators effective February 23, 2026. Source: OCCC licence register · casinocontrol.ohio.gov · Accessed May 2026.
Prediction Markets in Ohio
Kalshi continues to offer prediction market contracts to Ohio residents, but does so in defiance of an active OCCC enforcement order and a federal court ruling against its preemption argument. This is the most adversarial prediction market enforcement environment in the country. Ohio is in the Sixth Circuit, where the court denied Kalshi's emergency stay on April 24, 2026, in contrast to the Third Circuit's ruling in favour of Kalshi (covering NJ, PA, DE) on April 6, 2026. Access is technically available but carries significantly higher legal and operational uncertainty than in other states.
*Sports event contracts are subject to active OCCC enforcement action including a $5M fine notice (April 2026) and a March 2026 federal district court ruling that Ohio sports gaming law is not preempted by the Commodity Exchange Act. Sixth Circuit appeal fast-tracked as KalshiEX LLC v. Schuler, No. 26-3196. DCM = CFTC Designated Contract Market. Status subject to change. Accessed May 2026.
Active Legislation
One bill in the current Ohio General Assembly is directly relevant to players. Two earlier bills, HB 298 and SB 197, which would have paired online casino legalisation with a sweepstakes casino ban, stalled in the 2025 session without advancing and have not been refiled in active form as of May 2026. The OCCC also took a significant regulatory action in February 2026 that affects all licensed sportsbooks. Bill status sourced from the Ohio Legislature at legislature.ohio.gov, accessed May 2026.
Player Guidance — Ohio
Ohio offers a large, competitive licensed sportsbook market and an active sweepstakes casino landscape. The primary complexity is in prediction markets, where Ohio has taken a position directly opposed to the Third Circuit ruling and is actively pursuing enforcement against Kalshi. The guidance below sets out the practical position for Ohio residents as of May 2026.
The OCCC issues and can revoke operator licences, giving it genuine enforcement power over BetMGM, Caesars, and all other licensed sportsbooks. If a dispute with a licensed operator is not resolved through customer care, file a formal complaint at casinocontrol.ohio.gov. This regulatory recourse is a material player protection unavailable in the sweepstakes or prediction market space.
The OCCC banned college athlete player propositions at all licensed sportsbooks on February 23, 2026, effective immediately. BetMGM, Caesars, and every other OCCC licensee must comply. Attempting to place a college player prop bet will result in the market being unavailable. This restriction applies to regular season and postseason college games, including the College Football Playoff and NCAA Tournament. Professional and international sports player props are unaffected.
Ohio is one of the largest remaining sweepstakes markets and no ban is currently active or imminent. HB 298 and SB 197, which would have banned sweepstakes casinos as part of an iGaming legalisation package, stalled in 2025 and have not been refiled. However, iGaming legalisation interest in Ohio remains active among lawmakers and lobbyists, and a future bill may again link casino legalisation to a sweepstakes ban. Wager Layer will update this page if legislation advances materially.
Kalshi remains accessible to Ohio residents but operates under a $5 million OCCC fine notice and a federal court ruling that sides with Ohio. The situation is materially different from states covered by the Third Circuit ruling (NJ, PA, DE). The Sixth Circuit is fast-tracking the appeal in KalshiEX LLC v. Schuler (No. 26-3196), but until that ruling arrives, access to Kalshi's sports event contracts in Ohio is on contested legal ground. Non-sports event contracts (political, economic) are less explicitly targeted but the OCCC has taken a broad reading of its authority. Follow the Kalshi circuit split analysis for updates.
Ohio has not legalised online casino gaming. Players seeking casino-style slots and table games must use sweepstakes platforms operating under the no-purchase-necessary model rather than real-money licensed casino apps. A Study Commission on the Future of Gaming recommended online casino legalisation in March 2025, and legislative interest exists, but no bill has advanced in the current session. Until legalisation occurs, there is no licensed online casino option for Ohio residents.
Wager Layer Analysis — Recommended Platforms in Ohio
The following platform scores 7.0 or above on the Wager Layer T&C Risk Score framework and is confirmed available in Ohio. Inclusion is based solely on T&C analysis and is not a paid placement. See our methodology.
Ohio sports betting is sportsbook only, and BetMGM holds an OCCC Type A licence to operate statewide. Disputes escalate to the OCCC, which has genuine enforcement authority over all licensed operators. Note: college player props are unavailable at all Ohio licensed sportsbooks, including BetMGM, per OCCC order (February 23, 2026).
Change Log
Last reviewed: May 2026 · All state guides · Methodology