OHIO, USA — More than $7.6 billion has been wagered on sports betting since it became legal in Ohio just one year ago. Bets were placed instantly, but state services did not receive the funds for months.
Ohio received $935 million in tax revenue in the first year of legal sports betting, according to numbers released this month. Lawmakers earmarked 95% of that money, or $193.8 million, for five school and state scholarships.
That money, along with dollars from the state's general fund and lottery, began arriving in schools' bank accounts in September. Ten investigators tracked the money and found that Columbus City Schools received a total of $197 million in aid from the state.
Although CCS is the state's largest school system, it receives the third highest amount of funding. Cleveland Metropolitan School District was allocated $332.2 million in fiscal year 2024, and Toledo Public Schools was allocated $208.6 million.
Other school systems in the Columbus area have also received millions of dollars in funding, which is also a combination of gambling funds and general funds.
・Pickerington: $63.6 million
・Hilliard: $54.4 million
・Reynoldsburg: $52.2 million
・Westerville: $43.6 million
・Newark: $41.9 million
· Groveport-Madison: $40.7 million
・Olentangy: $36.9 million
The remaining 2% of sports betting profits were set aside for gambling addiction services. The Ohio Office of Budget and Management confirmed that the Problem Sports and Gaming Fund has received $3.3 million in tax and license revenue since January 2023, but has not touched any of it.
Bruce Jones is a member of the Ohio Problem Gambling Advisory Commission. He said almost 20% of the population was at risk of developing a gambling disorder.
“I think there are probably well over 200,000 people in the state diagnosed with this disease,” Jones said. “I think that's a safe estimate.”
Jessica Franks works for the Ohio Casino Control Commission. He said industry experts were not surprised to learn that more than 90% of sports betting in Ohio takes place online. Because sites and apps can track users' gambling patterns, the commission wants to use some of the funds for intervention programs, such as social media sites that identify doom scrollers.
The commission also plans to create a program that would allow college athletes to anonymously report gambling-related harassment.
“They will be contacted on social media based on their performance,” Franks said. “It could be someone you live with or a friend who had money from a game you were attending.”
