The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals are sure to attract thousands of visitors into the heart of their respective cities for big games this season.
For those making a weekend of their visit, there are plenty of attractions in the surrounding areas. Excitement seekers looking for some indoor fun on those chilly days or nights can find solace within the toasty confines of one of popular Ohio casinos. Both Cincinnati and Cleveland have great casinos within a mile of the football stadiums.
Here are the nearest casinos to the stadiums, which are open 24/7 for anytime fun.
Hard Rock Cincinnati is just a streetcar ride from Paycor Stadium
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is a must-visit. Look for the giant lighted guitar sign out front. Located about a mile north of The Banks entertainment district, it’s an easy drive from Paycor Stadium or Great American Ball Park.
Cincinnati’s streetcar can be an easy way to get around, if you’re heading north from The Banks into downtown or Over-the-Rhine. It’s free to ride, and the streetcar stop at Central Parkway and Main Street will drop you just a couple blocks from Hard Rock.
Hard Rock Casino features 1600 slot machines, 100 live table games and several restaurants, including an upscale steakhouse called Council Oak. It’s a full Vegas-like experience right in the Bengals’ backyard. Patrons enjoy a variety of casino games, live poker, video poker, black jack and more. Food options also include YouYu, which offers a wide variety of Asian cuisine, Brck’d Pizza and, of course, a Hard Rock Cafe.
Hard Rock isn’t just a casino; it’s also home to one of the region’s premier live entertainment venues with an impressive lineup of live music and comedy shows. Past shows included acts like Kenny Loggins, Air Supply, Earth, Wind and Fire and many more.
There’s a great sports bar located right inside the guitar entrance. Of course, with legal sports betting in Ohio, you can gamble there as well. The Hard Rock retail sportsbook features TVs mounted just about everywhere they could fit them showing games, sports news and odds boards, along with food and beverage from the Hard Rock bar.
For a special occasion, or just for additional personal space, a Mezzanine area overlooking the Hard Rock Cafe and sportsbook is available for reservation, featuring its own seating, TVs and bar.
Hard Rock just revamped their online sports betting app, Hard Rock Bet. As long as you’re in Ohio, you can legally bet on sports using any Ohio sports betting app.
JACK Casino Cleveland is walking distance from Browns stadium
Cleveland is home to its own iconic downtown casino, nestled right in with the historic buildings at Public Square. JACK Cleveland Casino is walking distance from both the Cleveland Browns Stadium and Progressive Field. Garage parking is available in the JACK Casino Garage and the JACK North Garage, both on Ontario Street.
JACK features four floors of entertainment and dining, with over 1,000 slot machines, ranging from the classic favorites to the latest and hottest games. There’s a dedicated poker room featuring daily tournaments, plus other live and electronic table games like roulette, baccarat and craps.
Everyone loves a casino buffet, and JACK was able to keep theirs going in the post-COVID era. Seven Chefs Buffet features cuisines from around the world at seven different stations. It’s a local favorite and won’t disappoint. If you love a burger, you’ll surely be satisfied at JACK, where you’ve got a choice between Wahlburgers or American Burger Bar. Check out Stack’d for gourmet sandwiches and pizza.
The relatively small size of the historic building that houses the casino doesn’t allow for expansive dining options, but there are great local restaurants nearby. Inside the casino, there are also three different bars and a Starbucks.
Of course, the casino also houses the impressive new BetJACK retail sportsbook. With 6,000 square feet of space, video walls for custom game viewing and a ton of nice seating, it’s a well done space that caters to the sports bettor. The space also features 20 self-betting kiosks, bar service and Fusion electronic table games to fill your down time. It’s anything but a run of the mill Ohio sportsbook and offers a lot of variety.
JACK doesn’t have a hotel but partners with the connected Ritz-Carlton, offering visitors a convenient and upscale option for accommodation. Another option, right around the corner is the Renaissance Hotel.
Catch other games at a local sportsbook
With plenty of sports bars in Cincinnati and Cleveland, sports fans have no lack of options for watching other games while in town. But they don’t all serve a variety of sports markets. Nearby sportsbooks are a good bet for the variety of sports and games they’re able to show.
Downtown Cincinnati
In Cincinnati, take a few minutes to check out Great American Ball Park before heading into the BetMGM Sportsbook location on the premises. The sports bar serves food and drink and features a panoramic window wall overlooking the third-base line. GABP and the sportsbook are a short walk from Paycor Stadium through an entertainment district called The Banks, and the two actually share the same enormous underground parking garage.
The Reds and BetMGM are moving the sportsbook into a bigger space inside The Banks soon — so it will be even closer to Paycor Stadiu.
Superbook Sportsbook is located a few minutes north of there, in Over-the-Rhine. Superbook is the sportsbook partnered with FC Cincinnati. It has a temporary home in the ground floor level of Taft’s Ale House, a local brewery and restaurant located in a historic church, steps away from the renovated Washington Park and Cincinnati Music Hall.
Downtown Cleveland
For in-person sports betting and spectating, Caesars Sportsbook is the place to be in Cleveland. Get away from the casino vibe and the sticky-table sports bar environment with a visit to Caesars Sportsbook located at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. It’s a spacious and comfortable lounge with a little more of an upscale air.
The floor-to-ceiling windows in the two story structure bring in some light and feature great views of the Cuyahoga River and the Innerbelt Bridge, making it a nice spot for a daytime visit. Overall, it might be our favorite brick and mortar sportsbook in the state for its ambiance, great service and attractive comfortable environment.
