Ohio’s four casinos reported gaming revenue of $91.7 million in December, a new record for that month. It propelled casinos to another record year in 2023, the 10th time in 11 years.
With the book closed on 2023, it’s clear that Ohio legal sports betting did not have the negative impact some thought it may have on casino activity. Ohio casinos totaled $1.02 billion in total gaming revenue last year.
December was the second-best month of 2023. Only March was better, coming in at $93.4 million. December marked the third consecutive month that revenue increased at the state’s casinos.
Slot play accounts for nearly 71.6% in revenue in December
In December, the large bulk of revenue continued to come from slot play. Nearly 72% of total revenue, $65.7 million, was from slot play. Table gaming brought in $25.9 million. Ohio casinos house 367 gaming tables and 6,221 slot machines.
Slot payout came in at 92.1% in December, a slight drop from the previous month’s 92.3%.
Jack Cleveland is the revenue winner in December
JACK Cleveland Casino won the December revenue race – but just barely – with $24.5 million. Hollywood Casino Columbus collected $24.2 million. The difference was just over $250,000.
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati ranked third with $22.3 million. Not far behind was Hollywood Casino Toledo at $20.5 million. The shares of the market were bunched tightly, ranging from 22% to 26% for the quartet of Ohio casinos.
Ohio does not permit casino operators to deduct their promotional expenses. For December, it was $15.4 million. Casinos are taxed on their gross gaming revenue at 33%. A little more than half of that tax revenue (51%) is used to help fund programs at the county level. Around 34% is spent on public education statewide.
The potential legalization of online casinos in Ohio would lead to drastically higher revenue and tax figures. The Ohio Sports Gaming Study Committee has a hearing on Feb. 20 specifically to discuss iGaming in the state, leaving some to believe Ohio could be a dark horse for online casino legalization in 2025.
Ohio December Casino Revenue
| Casino | Table Game Revenue | Slot Machine Revenue | Total Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Cleveland | $9,215,516 | $15,317,464 | $24,532,980 |
| Hollywood Columbus | $5,551,520 | $18,729,613 | $24,218,133 |
| Hard Rock Cincinnati | $8,002,375 | $14,388,300 | $22,390,675 |
| Hollywood Toledo | $3,166,491 | $17,338,721 | $20,505,212 |
| Totals | $25,935,902 | $65,774,098 | $91,647,000 |
