That adage goes that March comes in like a lion, out like a lamb. Well, when it comes to Ohio gaming revenue last month, March arrived and went out with a roar.
The state’s seven racinos and four casinos reported $215.8 million in monthly revenue in March. The haul set an Ohio gaming industry record for monthly gross gaming revenues.
This occurred despite the properties operating at reduced capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Breaking down Ohio casino revenue
The four casinos in Ohio — JACK Cleveland Casino, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, Hollywood Casino Toledo and Hollywood Casino Columbus — took in $91.6 million, reflecting a 35% rise over February.
Hollywood Columbus led the way with $24.8 million in revenue for the casino’s largest monthly total since it opened in 2012.
| Casino | March 2021 Revenue |
|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino Columbus | $24,819,594 |
| Hollywood Casino Toledo | $23,931,251 |
| JACK Cleveland Casino | $22,215,667 |
| Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati | $20,672,472 |
Ohio table games, slots, VLTs see big increases
The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported table revenues topped $23.6 million in March, a 28% increase from February. But that spike pales in comparison to slot machines.
Slot revenue came in at $68 million, up nearly 38% from the previous month and 300% from March 2020. Granted, that month fwas shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Ohio Lottery Commission, the seven racinos, which offer video lottery terminals, reported revenues of $124.2 million in March. That total stands as a 20% increase from the previous record set in March 2019.
The record revenue was even more impressive considering both the racinos and casinos are only operating at 50% capacity. The Ohio Lottery Commission did not break out revenue numbers by individual racino.
How did this record Ohio gambling month occur?
In non-pandemic times, March has generally been a good month for Ohio casinos and racinos, revenue-wise
But this year, a likely boost stemmed from pent-up demand as customers flocked back to the properties in the wake of lifted restrictions.
On Feb. 11, Gov. Mike DeWine suspended the state’s overnight curfew as COVID-19 conditions improved across the state. That decision meant that this March was the first month in nearly a year in which the gaming properties were open during their normal hours of operation.
What’s more, March also saw casino poker rooms reopen to limited capacity.
