Ohio Casinos Overview Page
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The Buckeye State has four independent casinos and seven racetracks with casinos included, called “racinos,” giving Ohio residents access to eleven total land-based casinos to bet at.
This page was created to give you all of the information you need to bet at an Ohio casino and answer any questions you may have.
Real-money online casinos are not legal in Ohio, though residents have access to online sports betting as of January 1, 2023.
Daily fantasy sports and online horse wagering are legal, but there are no current bills in legislation to legalize real-money online casinos. That being said, the success of the legalization of sports betting may prompt lawmakers to consider future legislation.
That being said, sweepstakes and social casinos are legal in Ohio and available for online gambling. With these types of casinos, users can purchase virtual coins to play online games. These games include, but are not limited to, online poker, slots, keno, blackjack, and roulette.
Examples of sweepstakes and social casinos include Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Funzpoints, and Global Poker.
By allowing users to compete for real prizes, these casinos are a great alternative for those looking to gamble online.
The recent legalization of sports betting allows optimism that Ohio will consider legalizing online casinos in the future. Daily fantasy sports and online horse race betting also allow a precedent for online casinos.
While no legislation is currently pending for online casinos in Ohio, neighboring states like Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Indiana have legalized online casinos and could also provide an example of what Ohio legislation could look like.
As Ohio residents grow accustomed to online sports betting, pressure could grow for Ohio to join its neighboring states and legalize online casinos as well.
In addition to daily fantasy, sports betting, and online horse races, Ohio offers residents retail casinos and the previously mentioned racinos (horse racing tracks with casinos included).
This variety gives Ohio residents numerous options to enjoy gambling and experiment with different gambling avenues.
There are four retail casinos in Ohio, intentionally placed strategically near each of the state’s four largest cities (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo) to maximize access.
This variety gives Ohio residents numerous options to enjoy gambling and experiment with different gambling avenues.
The four retail casinos are below, along with their operator in parenthesis and address:
Each casino features common games like slots, poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, and much more.
All casino games are thoroughly tested and fairness controlled by independent testing agencies authorized by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Only gamble at one of these four casinos or at one of the racinos outlined below to ensure safety from illegal operators.
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The Buckeye state also offers seven racetracks with casinos inside, called racinos. The first Ohio racino was established in 2012, though racinos differ from retail casinos in that they cannot offer table games. Instead, they offer VLTs (Video Lottery Terminals) that work similar to a slot game but operate like a lottery game, in addition to horse race gambling.
Racinos are open 24 hours a day. While horse racing wagers can be placed by anyone over 18 years old, the gambling age requirement is 21+ years of age. Most racinos offer fun promotions and rewards programs to increase engagement.
See below a list of Ohio racinos, with their operator in parenthesis and address:
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The expansion of gambling in Ohio is a fairly recent development, as voters didn’t approve a constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling until 2009.
In 2010, Governor Ted Strickland signed bill HB 519, creating the regulatory standards and framework for casino gaming in the state. The bill also created the Ohio Casino Control Commission to oversee land-based, retail gambling casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo.
As outlined in HB 519, casinos pay a 33% tax rate on all gross gaming revenue. Those tax funds are paid to the state’s counties and public school districts.
In 2012, HB 386 received final approval to allow VLTs (Video Lottery Terminals) at Ohio’s racetracks, leading to the creation of racinos. While technically lottery games, the VLTs were designed to operate in similar fashion to a slot machine.
The first racino launched just one month after the bill was approved, with all seven racinos opening by 2014. Overall, more than 11,000 VLTs are in operation across the racinos in Ohio.
In 2018, Ohio passed HB 132, legalizing daily fantasy gaming like DraftKings and FanDuel. The Ohio Casino Control Commission issued its first licenses in 2020, creating a newfound interest and engagement in sports gaming.
This momentum led to the eventual passing of HB29 in 2021, signed by Governor Mike DeWine, legalizing sports betting at brick-and-mortar facilities, online, and in terminals in bars and restaurants. Wagering on esports, also known as organization video game competitions, was included in this bill.
On January 1, 2023, sportsbooks officially began operation in the Buckeye state, allowing users to wager on sporting events in person at sportsbooks and electronically via mobile applications.
In the first month of operation alone, Ohio users placed more than $1 billion in sports bets, giving the state a new tax revenue vertical to divert more money to state programs and benefit constituents.
While no legislation is active to bring online casinos to Ohio, the successful launch of sports wagering could build momentum to push legislators to reconsider the legalization of online casinos.
There are four retail casinos and seven racinos in Ohio.
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo have casinos in Ohio.
Horseshoe Cleveland, now known as JACK Cleveland Casino, became the first Ohio casino to open its doors. It opened on May 14, 2012.
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati opened on March 4, 2013, making it the most recent Ohio casino to start operation.
Hollywood Casino Columbus is the largest casino in Ohio, featuring 2150 gaming machines as well as 79 table games.
No, online casinos are not currently legal in Ohio. Residents can wager on horse races online and sweepstakes and social casinos are legal, but online casinos are not.
While no legislation is currently pending to legalize online casinos, the success of the recent legalization of sports gambling could prompt Ohio lawmakers to reconsider.
It is not legal to play real-money online poker in Ohio. Residents can play poker in-person at one of the state’s four retail casinos.
Similar to online casino legislation, the success of sports gambling could cause lawmakers to revisit the issue but there is no active plan to legalize online poker in Ohio.
Yes, you are responsible for disclosing winnings on your individual Form 1040. If you win $5,000 or more at any Ohio casino, the casino will automatically withhold 24% of your winnings in accordance with federal tax law.
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