Ohio casino revenue saw a bit of a bump during September. However, a trend is developing as Ohio’s four commercial casinos become a consistent form of revenue for the Buckeye State.
According to figures released by the Ohio Casino Control Commission, gross gaming revenue from the four properties totaled $83.1 million in September. These numbers represent a tiny increase from August’s $82.4 million and a 2% increase from September 2022.
So far, in 2023, Ohio casinos have brought in $763.4 million in gross gaming revenue. In other words, Ohio casinos are becoming some of the state’s most reliable money makers.
Online casinos in Ohio would certainly add more revenue to state coffers. But there doesn’t seem to be any significant appetite from current legislators to legalize them.
10 straight months of $80 million or more coming from Ohio casinos
One thing that folks can count on is that Ohio casinos are going to make money. In 2022, over $1 billion in gross gaming revenue came from Ohio’s four casinos. They are on pace to crack that benchmark again in 2023.
September marked the 10th consecutive month that Ohio casinos generated at least $80 million in gross gaming revenue. The last time they didn’t reach that mark was in November 2022, when they reported revenue of $78.6 million. Not that far off.
In fact, the state’s casinos have brought in at least $80 million in 18 of the last 19 months.
Ohio gamblers put $763.9 million into slot machines in September. Ohio’s casino properties netted $59.2 million from those wagers. Meanwhile, revenue from table games at the four casinos was $23.9 million in September. Table drop, which essentially is the amount of money gamblers intended to bet at gaming tables, was $95.7 million.
Hollywood Casino Columbus takes back top spot among OH casinos in revenue
Here is what the Ohio casino revenue breakdown looked like at the four properties in September:
| Casino | Table Game Revenue | Slot Revenue | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Casino Columbus | $5,381,679 | $17,251,721 | $22,633,400 |
| Jack Casino Cleveland | $9,247,972 | $12,716,028 | $21,964,000 |
| Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati | $7,016,484 | $13,141,455 | $20,157,939 |
| Hollywood Casino Toledo | $2,265,151 | $16,095,179 | $18,360,330 |
| Totals | $23,911,286 | $59,204,383 | $83,115,669 |
Hollywood Casino Columbus has taken back the No. 1 spot as the highest-grossing casino in Ohio. The venue held that spot from April through July before Jack Cleveland Casino took the title in August.
The margin between Hollywood Columbus and Jack Cleveland was more than $669,000 in September. Jack Cleveland had the edge in table game revenue. However, it was on the slots where Hollywood Columbus dominated, bringing in over $17.2 million in revenue from slot machines in September.
Hard Rock Cincinnati totaled $20.1 million in September revenue. Meanwhile, Hollywood Casino Toledo brought in $18.3 million.
Combined, Ohio casinos and racinos bring in $191 million in revenue
Unlike the traditional casinos in Ohio, racinos only offer video lottery terminals, or VLTs, and horse racing through live racetracks and simulcast betting. However, they are just as crucial to the state’s overall revenue as the four casinos.
Ohio’s seven racinos won $108.8 million from gamblers in September. Combined, Ohio’s casinos and racinos generated over $191.9 million in September.
Racinos report VLT revenue to the Ohio Lottery and are not overseen by the OCCC. You won’t find live dealer table games or poker rooms at any of the racinos. However, combined, the seven racinos generated more revenue in September than Ohio’s four casinos.
