Ranking Ohio’s 4 Most Popular Casinos

It’s been more than a decade since Ohio legalized casino gaming, and the state’s four full-service casinos continue to change with the times.

Located in Ohio’s biggest cities, Hollywood Columbus, Hollywood Toledo, JACK Cleveland and Hard Rock Cincinnati draw visitors to the region and host regulars across the state.

Here is a look at what all four Ohio casinos have to offer, including newly added amenities like sportsbooks, restaurants, rewards programs and even a new hotel on the way.

Ohio casinos do similar amounts of business

Two of Ohio’s four casinos seem to always be in a neck and neck competition for the highest revenue ranking. Hollywood Casino in Columbus was the top-earning casino in 2022, bringing in just $1.24 million more than the second-ranking JACK Casino in Cleveland.

If that sounds like a lot of money, it’s a drop in the bucket for an Ohio casino. The $1.24 million is just .47% of JACK Casino Clevland’s 2022 revenue.

Overall, the differences in revenue brought in by Ohio’s casinos are relatively small. The size of a casino’s local market seems to be the biggest indicator of potential revenue. But other factors, like added amenities and nearby competition can move the needle for Ohio casinos.

In terms of total Ohio market share, Ohio’s three highest-earning casinos fall within about 1% of each other.

In the first quarter of 2023, the highest-earning JACK Casino Cleveland held 26.4% of all Ohio casino revenue. The third-highest earner, Hard Rock Cincinnati had 25.3% of the market share. The difference in total revenue between the two averaged $1 million a month, but Hard Rock and Hollywood Casino Columbus both brought in more revenue than JACK in April.

Cleveland is the largest metro area in Ohio, so higher revenues would stand to reason. However, Columbus and Cincinnati have nearly identical populations in their metro areas. Still, Hollywood Columbus consistently brings higher revenues than Hard Rock Cincinnati.

1. JACK Casino Cleveland

So far this year, JACK is on top. The downtown Cleveland casino features 100,000 square feet of gaming space, 1,100 slots, plus video poker and electronic table games. Other game offerings include 100 live table games and a 30-table poker room.

The two-story casino features three bars and three restaurants on site, and a Starbucks on the second floor. JACK’s Seven Chefs Buffet is a big draw, featuring seven stations with a wide variety of food options.

JACK’s retail sportsbook, branded betJACK Sportsbook, is a Las Vegas-style setup as opposed to a sports bar with kiosks and tellers like Ohio’s other casinos have employed. But there are sports betting kiosks, and TVs are visible from the Rock Bar and Lounge.

The ClubJACK rewards program offers special deals at restaurants and hotels in the downtown area. Highest-tier members are rewarded with a VIP host and an annual trip with airfare credit.

JACK Cleveland is about the same size as Hard Rock in Cincinnati, with a comparable number of games and food and beverage options.

2. Hollywood Casino Columbus

Hollywood Casino in Columbus has its foot on the gas. It is the largest casino in Ohio, and it’s getting bigger. Hollywood boasts more games than any Ohio casino, and the largest gaming floor with 160,000 square feet of space. A new hotel is in the works, which will add 180 rooms and additional food and beverage options.

The main competition in the area is Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs, which doesn’t offer table games or a poker room but is a large and quality destination. Eldorado usually ranks second or third in revenue out of Ohio’s seven racinos.

Hollywood Columbus features over 800 progressive slots, with a total of nearly 2,000 slots and video poker machines. In addition, Columbus offers 65 table games and a poker room with 34 tables.

The casino features five restaurants, plus a Barstool Sportsbook that serves food and drink. Drinks are available from most restaurants and at the Sunset Patio Bar.

Smokers will feel welcome here, too, with Ohio’s largest casino smoking and gaming patio that comes in at 8,000 square feet. The temperature controlled, open-air gaming floor features 250 games and a full-service bar.

Hollywood casinos fall under the Penn Entertainment umbrella. Penn has a shiny new rewards program called Penn Play, which brought Penn’s various brands under a single rewards program. Penn Play allows customers to earn rewards points at Hollywood casinos, the Barstool Sportsbook app, and Penn-owned casinos and hotels in other states. Penn owns two of the racino properties in Ohio as well, which offer slot machines but no table games.

3. Hard Rock Cincinnati

Hard Rock faces some competition in the region, with the growing Miami Valley Gaming in nearby Lebanon, Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and Belterra Park racino. Hollywood casino is just 30 minutes away, and it has a hotel and allows smoking indoors — two features that can be a draw for some gamblers.

Wild Card is Hard Rock’s rewards program with four tiers. Players can earn points by playing slots, table games, poker and online with free games. Members in the top two tiers get access to the VIP Plum Lounge, among other additional benefits.

Hard Rock’s features and amenities rival those of JACK Cleveland. The main highlights are:

• 100,000 square feet of space, including a large event space on the second floor
• 1,600 slot machines
• Nearly 100 table games
• 31 table poker room
• Four restaurants, including the Hard Rock Cafe and Hard Rock Sportsbook
• Three bars
• Coffee shop
• Smoking patio with 100 slots and 24 table games

4. Hollywood Casino Toledo

Not only is Toledo a much smaller metro area than Ohio’s three larger cities, but the Hollywood Casino there also has some competition. Nearby Detroit has three casinos in the downtown area, including the MGM Grand Casino and Hotel about an hour drive from Toledo. These circumstances put Hollywood Casino Toledo at the bottom of the revenue ranking in Ohio.

That’s not to say Hollywood Toledo isn’t a fine casino. The Hollywood brand sets a high standard, and the Toledo location is no different. This casino has a bigger focus on slot machines than the other three, and offers plenty of space to enjoy them. Food and drink options are plentiful, and Hollywood opened a Barstool Sportsbook here as well.

Hollywood Toledo offers:

• 125,000 square feet
• 1,700 slot machines
• 46 table games
• 12 table poker room
• Four restaurant/bars, plus Sequel Modern Cocktail Bar
• Barstool Sportsbook
• Smoking patio with a bar, four table games and 227 slot machines including 14 bar top games
• Special pricing from local hotel partners