Ohio had a rebound at its casinos and racinos as the latter started a new financial year.
The state’s seven racetracks with slot machines (known as racinos) combined for $118,011,500 in net win for July, a 9.6% increase over the $107,652,523 reported in June.
July was the start of the 2022-23 fiscal year for the racinos, which took in a record $1.33 billion in revenue for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The total for July was higher than all but three months of the previous fiscal year, though one of those months that topped it was the $120.69 million in July 2021, meaning that in a year-over-year comparison, the July 2022 figure was a drop of 2.2% from 12 months earlier.
And Ohio’s four commercial casinos combined for $88,708,778 for July, an 8.9% boost over the $81.47 million in June, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
That adds up to $206,720,278 altogether for the Buckeye State’s 11 gaming facilities, as the state bounced back from a dip to $189 million in June. The state record is $217,085,105, set in April 2021.
Here are three takeaways from Ohio gaming in July.
Ohio Racino Revenue Breakdown
Miami Valley Gaming in Lebanon was the lone racino to set a record in July for revenue, according to numbers reported by the Ohio Lottery.
The harness racing track, about 30 miles northeast of downtown Cincinnati, reported $20,504,928 in revenue for July, breaking the mark of $20,332,003 set in March. Miami Valley reported $20.13 million for April, marking the third time this year that the racino has exceeded $20 million in revenue, a milestone the racino had never cleared until this year.
MGM Northfield led Ohio racinos in revenue last month at $25.3 million, with Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs in Columbus second at $21.3 million and Miami Valley third.
The remaining facilities in the state with their July revenues: JACK Thistledown in Cleveland ($15.8 million), Hollywood Mahoning Valley in Austintown ($14 million), Hollywood Gaming Dayton ($12.76 million) and Belterra Park in Cincinnati ($8.34 million).
All seven racinos increased their revenue from June.
Casinos Dip Slightly in Year-Over-Year Comparison
All four casinos in Ohio exceeded their previous month’s revenue total, but the comparison to July 2021 was mixed.
Hard Rock Cincinnati was the only casino to improve in a year-over-year comparison, jumping 2.9% from $21.5 million in July 2021 to $22.13 million last month. The revenue also rose nearly $2 million compared to the $20.39 million in June.
Hollywood Columbus led the state in casino revenue for July at $23.24 million, up from the $21.16 million in June but down from $24 million in July 2021.
JACK Cleveland Casino reported $22.87 million in revenue for July (up from $21.73 million in June) and Hollywood Toledo had $20.46 million (up from $18.19 million).
There are no Ohio online casinos yet. Neighboring Michigan launched online gaming in 2021 and two other states bordering Ohio — Pennsylvania and West Virginia — have offered mobile slots and table games for a few years.
Sports Wagering in Ohio Has Set Launch Time
The timeline for the planned launch of Ohio sports betting is now nailed down to the minute.
Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation in late 2021 to make legal, regulated sports wagering in Ohio a reality, but the state has not launched as quickly as some other markets. For instance, neighboring Indiana was one of the quickest to get underway, offering retail sportsbooks within about five months and mobile sports wagering shortly after that.
But in Ohio, the target date of Jan. 1, 2023 was set. And last week, in an Ohio Casino Control Commission meeting, OCCC executive director Matthew Schuler announced that midnight on Jan. 1 will be the exact time for mobile sports wagering to begin in the state.
“Once the ball drops in Times Square, sports gaming can commence in Ohio,” Schuler said during the commission’s bimonthly meeting on Aug. 3.
When sports wagering in Ohio launches, check with BetOhio.com for the top Ohio sportsbook promos all year round.
