In June, Ohio casinos posted more than $82.8 million in revenue, showing a slight recovery from the previous month.
After a strong start to the year, casino revenue numbers flattened in April and May. May marked a low point for Ohio gambling with casino revenues hitting the lowest total for the year so far at $80.6 million.
Ohio casinos grew June revenue 2.7% over the previous month and just 1.6% over last June.
Ohio casinos slightly ahead of last year
The first half of 2023 saw the casinos combine for more than $512 million in taxable revenue, putting them slightly ahead of the same time frame in the previous year.
June signals a bit of a turn around for the casinos, putting them on track to top last year’s numbers and set a new yearly record once again.
Ohio casino revenue
June 2023: $82,802,342
May 2023: $80,575,323
June 2022: $81,473,600
All of the casinos except for Hollywood Casino Columbus saw minimal year-over-year declines. Hollywood Columbus was able to increase revenues both year-over-year and month-over-month. Those increases were responsible for the overall growth of Ohio casino revenue in June.
JACK Cleveland Casino matched its revenue from last year, hanging onto its ranking as the second-highest revenue earner over Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati.
| Casino | June 2023 | June 2022 | May 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| JACK Cleveland | $21.7 | $21.7 | $20.7 |
| Hollywood Columbus | $23.2 | $21.2 | $22.4 |
| Hard Rock Cincinnati | $20.2 | $20.4 | $19.6 |
| Hollywood Toledo | $17.7 | $18.2 | $17.9 |
| Total: | $82.8 | $81.5 | $80.6 |
Some Ohio casinos are expanding with the growing popularity of gambling
Hollywood Casino Columbus has been performing well, and their growth will soon take shape in a new 200-room hotel at the location. The 150,000 square foot venue will include a variety of suites, a restaurant and bar, conference and meeting spaces and an outdoor seating terrace. Hollywood, along with the Columbus Building & Construction Trades Council will break ground on the new hotel later this year.
Revenue has also been soaring at Miami Valley Gaming, a racino that has made strides over the last couple years to land itself a spot in the top three largest Ohio racinos. Plans to add a hotel there were stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and seem to be on the back burner for now. But the racino went ahead with expanding the gaming terrace and adding more games. Two restaurants were also added.
Continued investment in the gaming properties, and a growing gambling market are pushing revenues higher for the most popular Ohio casinos and racinos. The locations that are expanding are moving the needle of the overall industry, while other ones seem to be just trying to hold steady.
Ohio sportsbooks experiencing expected summer slow down
Despite a couple of hot MLB teams at the peak of their seasons in Ohio, sports betting numbers are down. Ohio sportsbooks posted the lowest numbers yet in June, with Ohioans wagering $362 million. That number represents a nearly 19% decrease from May.
While most sports betting in Ohio is done online via mobile apps and websites, every Ohio casino and racino has added a retail sportsbook.
Ohio’s sports betting market is on pace to be one of the largest in the country, and the new amenities could be attracting visitors who might not otherwise spend money in casinos.
