The revenue news continues to be good for Ohio’s gaming industry.
The state’s 11 gambling facilities – four commercial casinos and seven racinos (slots at racetracks) – reported $215,580,818 combined revenue for April, a slight decrease from the $216,302,995 recorded in March.
The state’s gaming interests maintained their strong trajectory even as the wait for Ohio sports betting continues.
Hard Rock Cincinnati Casino set its monthly record for revenue, as did one of the racinos, Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs in Columbus.
Here are three takeaways from April for Ohio gaming.
Casinos Report Near-Record Month
The four casinos in The Buckeye State combined for $92,848,240 in revenue for April, the second-best month in state history behind the $93.3 million from March. April was the fifth time the casinos have exceeded $90 million, all since March 2021.
Hard Rock Cincinnati set a record with $24,380,382 in April, the second consecutive month that the casino broke its record, according to figures from the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Hard Rock had $22.9 million in revenue in March; before then, the mark had been $21.5 million in July 2021.
The Cincinnati total also led the state; the four casinos are typically very close to each other in revenue and often trade the lead month by month. Hard Rock edged Hollywood Columbus ($24.337 million) for April’s top honors.
JACK Cleveland Casino reported just over $23 million in revenue last month and Hollywood Toledo had just over $21 million.
Racinos Exceed $122.7 Million For April
The seven Ohio racinos combined for $122.7 million for the month, less than $2 million away from the record of $124.5 million set in April 2021.
Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs set its new high-water mark at $22,460,977, breaking the racino’s record of $22.395 million set in March 2021.
MGM Northfield led the state at $25,555,708, its second-best total ever behind last month’s $26.1 million, according to figures from the Ohio Lottery.
Miami Valley Gaming in Lebanon also had its No. 2 month ever at $20.1 million, again only trailing the March total of $20.3 million.
The other racinos in the state recorded the following figures for April revenue: JACK Thistledown Racino (Cleveland) $17,232,851, Hollywood Mahoning Valley (Austintown) $14,515,897, Hollywood Gaming Dayton $14,220,513, Belterra Park (Cincinnati) $8,617,709.
Ohio Sports Betting Update
Major sports betting operators continue to keep their eyes on Ohio and for good reason. The state has eight pro sports franchises in MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL and MLS and eight FBS level college football programs, plus another five universities with Division I basketball programs.
Last week, one of the nation’s biggest sports wagering operators, DraftKings Sportsbook, said it is preparing to be ready when Ohio launches its sports betting.
And in late April, the Cleveland Browns announced a deal to make Bally Bet an official partner for sports betting.
When Ohio approved legal, regulated sports betting, the law stipulated that it must launch by Jan. 1, 2023.
With that timetable in mind, the state Casino Control Commission last week posted deadlines for applicants. Type A, B and C license applicants, Management Service Providers and first designated Mobile Management Service Providers must submit their applications between June 15 and July 15.
