Ohio casinos are navigating fluctuations in revenue. Casinos in the northern and central parts of the state fared better than their counterparts in the western and southern sections. But let's start with the overall numbers.
The latest report from the Ohio Casino Control Commission reveals that in February, casinos generated just under $82 million, a slight drop from the $83.5 million reported the previous year.
This marks a 2% decrease overall compared to last year's numbers.
Jack and Hollywood Casinos Stand Out
Among Ohio's four land-based casinos, Hollywood Casino in Columbus and Jack Cleveland Casino stood out by pulling in over $20 million each.
Hollywood Columbus led the pack with $23.4 million, up 4% from its $22.5 million earnings last year. That figure is also up about $1.3 million from January.
On the other hand, Jack Cleveland reported $20.5 million in revenue, which is an increase of almost $1 million compared to January, but it’s a decrease of about 5% from the $22 million the casino generated a year ago.
Cincinnati and Toledo Casinos Don't Reach $20 Million
Close behind were Hard Rock Cincinnati Casino and Hollywood Toledo Casino, but both fell short of the $20 million threshold.
Despite earning about $2 million more month-to-month, Hard Rock Cincinnati earned $19.8 million, dipping 1% from $20 million last year.
Meanwhile, Hollywood Toledo was down about $400,000 month-over-month, collecting just over $18 million, showing a 6% decline from its previous $19 million figure a year ago.
Slot Machines Top Table Games in Ohio
Slot machines were the main contributors, generating roughly $59 million, a 3% drop from $60 million in February 2024. Meanwhile, table games saw a slight uptick, bringing in $23 million, reflecting a 1% increase from last year.
Overall, while the total revenue saw a slight decrease, certain areas still experienced growth, highlighting the dynamic nature of Ohio's casino industry.
Ohio Online Casino Update
In Ohio, online casinos aren't legal, but people can use sports betting apps.
Back in September, former Ohio State Senator Niraj Antani proposed Senate Bill 312. This bill would have let each of Ohio's 11 casinos run one online gambling site. However, the bill wasn't set up ahead of time for consideration in 2025 because it was meant for the 2024 session. Additionally, with Senator Antani no longer in office, the proposal to legalize online casinos in Ohio remains in limbo. In short, there aren't any laws for regulating and licensing online casinos in The Buckeye State.
Despite this, there are also social casinos, which are like play-for-fun or sweepstakes games.
