Casino and racino operators eagerly await the launch of Ohio betting sites on Jan. 1, knowing they’re already missing the chance to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the Cleveland Guardians’ run in the MLB playoffs.
That anticipation will have to suffice for now because September was not a strong month for those 11 facilities.
The seven racinos (racetracks with slot machines) and four commercial casinos reported a combined $188,628,899 of Ohio betting revenue for September. That total was down 3.7% from $195,968,780 for Ohio August revenue.
Ohio Casino Revenue Breakdown
The four casinos in the Buckeye State combined for $81,437,483 in revenue last month, a 3.3% decrease from $84.25 million in August, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Hollywood Columbus and JACK Cleveland were the two leaders in September, and the only casinos that had revenue increases from August.
Hollywood Columbus had $22,273,465 in September revenue, up by nearly $44,000 compared to the previous month. JACK Cleveland had a similarly slight increase, rising by about $123,000 from $21.817 million in August to $21.94 million last month.
Hard Rock Cincinnati fell from $21.15 million in August to $20.1 million in September, and Hollywood Toledo declined from $19.05 million to $17.125 million.
In a year-over-year comparison, the Ohio casino revenue last month was up 3.3% from September 2021’s total of $78.86 million.
Last week, the state’s Casino Control Commission approved five prospective operators to run Ohio sports betting apps once the online wagering market launches on New Year’s Day.
That list included Caesars sportsbook Ohio, Betfred, bet365, PointsBet and SuperBook Sports.
That's great news for bettors in The Buckeye State, as a PointsBet Ohio promo code can be one of the most valuable offers in the industry.
Racino Revenue Also Down in September
Ohio’s seven racinos reported a total of $107,191,416 in September revenue, down 4.0% from $111,714,894 in August, according to the Ohio Lottery.
The only racino to see an increase from August’s revenue figure was Hollywood Mahoning Valley in Austintown, near Youngstown. That facility nudged up by a bit more than $2,500, from about $13.006 million the previous month to nearly $13.009 million in September.
The other six racinos saw decreases from August. MGM Northfield Park led the state with $23.685 million in September revenue, followed by Miami Valley Gaming in Lebanon, which dipped from $19.1 million to $18.84 million.
The other facilities were as follows: Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs (Columbus), $18.136 million; JACK Thistledown (Cleveland), $14.94 million; Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway, $12 million; and Belterra Park in Cincinnati, $6.58 million.
The racino figure was up 0.6% from the $106.5 million reported 12 months earlier.
There are no Ohio casinos online yet. Neighboring states West Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania all offer legal, regulated iGaming.
Latest on Sports Betting in Ohio
The early pre-registration for Ohio mobile betting apps is underway.
On Oct. 1, 15 mobile providers were approved to start signing up prospective sports betting customers who wish to begin betting as early as the Jan. 1 launch date in the state. Ohio residents can sign up for new accounts and deposit money during pre-registration (they must be physically located within Ohio to wager, a process enforced by geolocation technology).
The process won’t start in time for casinos and mobile sportsbooks to take advantage of the Guardians being in the American League Division Series (Cleveland faces the Yankees in the best-of-five series starting Tuesday in New York). But Ohio will reap the benefits of catching the last two weeks of the NFL season and the College Football Playoff national championship game in early January.
Keep checking with BetOhio.com for Ohio sportsbook promo codes and more information as legal, regulated wagering on sports gets closer.
