With the launch of legal Ohio sports betting came a few types of options for Ohioans who want to bet on sports. Online sportsbooks and retail sportsbooks are the most visible, but the third option are the self-service kiosks located in bars, restaurants and other establishments throughout Ohio.
The kiosks are regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission. After a rocky roll out in January and subsequent ramp-up in February, the kiosk market has become stable, providing a convenient option for Ohio sports bettors who choose not to use an app or travel to a retail sportsbook to place bets.
The kiosks took over $1.2 million in bets in May, a healthy amount for a market that is still finding its footing.
Ohio sports betting kiosks see nice bump in May
March was the high point so far this year for the kiosks, which brought in $1.4 million, and that month is often a peak month in sports betting markets. April saw an expected dip in sports betting handle, but not a huge one. The May figures, just released this week, show a nice bump of nearly 10% for a total of $1,235,984 in handle, with $120,923 in revenue.
Ohio sports betting kiosk handle in 2023:
- January: $850,334
- February: $973,208
- March: $1,384,324
- April: $1,127,133
- May: $1,235,984
The overall sports betting market in the U.S. is expected to see a summer slowdown, as is the norm. But the Ohio sports betting kiosk market could show a different trend, as kiosks are still being added at new establishments.
Kiosk proprietors compete for a small piece of the pie
Kiosks bring in only a tiny sliver of the overall sports betting handle in Ohio. About 98% of sports betting is done via online sportsbook apps. The remaining 2% is split between the kiosks and retail sportsbooks (located at Ohio’s casinos, racinos and professional sports stadiums).
In an overall market that brought in $63.8 million in revenue in April and $520.6 million in bets, one of the smaller kiosk proprietors made only $1,078 in revenue in May. That was mostly due to bettors having good luck. BetIGG paid out winnings that totaled 98.74% of what their kiosks took in.
| Operator | Handle | Revenue | Payout % |
|---|---|---|---|
| SportsBet | $670,173 | $85,467 | 87.23% |
| UBet | $217,601 | $6,418 | 97.05% |
| Gold Rush | $165,804 | $19,049 | 88.50% |
| BetSkybox | $96,856 | $8,911 | 90.79% |
| Bet IGG | $85,550 | $1,078 | 98.74% |
| Total | $1,235,984 | $120,923 | 90.21% |
There’s no doubt that the kiosk market is worthwhile for largest proprietors, though. Sportsbet made over $85,000 in revenue in May on $670,173 in handle.
Nearly 80% of sports betting kiosk hosts in Ohio are using Sportsbet machines. Their kiosks brought in more than 54% of the total handle in May and made more than 70% of the revenue.
Sportsbet remains the operator with the most host locations, even after their total number of locations dropped by 14 in April. That number went down again by 3 in May, for a new total of 736.
More kiosk host locations could be on the way
The number of host locations for self-service sports betting kiosks in Ohio has plateaued, at least for now. In April, there were 14 fewer locations than in the previous month, and in May a net of nine were added.
With nearly 1,000 bars, restaurants and other businesses hosting at least one kiosk in Ohio, the total amount will fluctuate month-to-month. Host businesses can close or change their mind about the kiosks, and new hosts are adding kiosks each month so far.
Newly proposed legislation would open a new market for kiosk proprietors if passed this year. The Ohio House of Representatives passed an operating budget for fiscal years 2024-2025 which included an expansion of the types of businesses that can host sports betting kiosks.
The Ohio Senate and Governor will still have to approve the budget. If they do, hundreds of new businesses could potentially come on board in the coming months. The budget would allow breweries, wineries and distilleries to apply for a Type C sports gaming host license, as long as they serve their beverages in a tap room or restaurant on site.
