Though it was a small class of states that launched sports betting in 2023, Ohio proved to be a runaway winner for Rookie of the Year.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported handle totaling more than $829.9 million for December on Wednesday as the Buckeye State narrowly missed eclipsing Pennsylvania for fifth nationally in 2023 handle during its first 12 months of legal betting.

Including kiosks overseen by the state lottery, total Ohio sports betting handle was slightly above $831.1 million for the final month of 2023. That total was down nearly 4% from November. Overall, Ohioans wagered more than $7.67 billion in the first year sports betting was legal in the Buckeye State with $7.44 billion of that coming via mobile betting apps. The overall Ohio handle finished within $9.5 million of the Keystone State, which needed its top three all-time handles in the final three months of 2023 to fend off the upstart.