Casinos and racinos operating in Ohio took in $206.7 million in July, according to a monthly report released by the Ohio Casino Control Commission on Tuesday. The figure implies a slight 2% decrease from the $211.2 million posted the same month last year, while up 27% when compared to July 2019′s total of $162.2 million. The slight drop against 2021 was an expected one, given venues broke records just about every month coming out of the pandemic, thus setting tough comparatives.
Casinos and racinos in the state have thus far posted $1.38 billion of gambling revenue this year, $20 million ahead of the $1.36 billion in revenue brought in during the same period last year. The figure is also well above pandemic figures, when the venues reported $669 million up to July in 2020, amid pandemic restrictions. It also shows an increase over the pre-pandemic 2019 revenues of $1.13 billion up to the same month.
Jack Cleveland Casino
In terms of statewide revenue, casinos saw a slight decrease from last year at $88.7 million, $1.79 million less than in July 2021. Hollywood Columbus placed first among all venues, at $23.2 million.
The casino was followed by Jack Cleveland Casino ($22.8 million), Hard Rock Cincinnati ($22.1 million), and Hollywood Toledo ($20.4 million). Hard Rock Cincinnati posted revenue up from July 2021, while Jack Cleveland Casino, Hollywood Columbus, and Hollywood Toledo all experienced revenue drops.
MGM Northfield Park
Racinos posted statewide revenue of $118 million, down from the $120.6 delivered in July 2021. MGM Northfield Park placed first at $25.2 million in revenue, followed by Eldorado Scioto Downs ($21.3 million), and Miami Valley Gaming ($20.5 million).
Meanwhile, JACK Thistledown Racino delivered $15.7 million in revenue, while Hollywood Mahoning Valley posted $13.8 million, Hollywood Dayton took in $12.7 million, and Belterra Park posted $8.3 million.
Geez Grill & Pub in Ohio, one of the pre-qualified bars and restaurants
Ahead of the much-expected launch of sports betting in the state, dozens of restaurants and bars in Ohio have pre-qualified to offer sports betting ahead of the upcoming market launch, set for January 1, 2023. The Ohio Lottery released in July a list of businesses that could be approved for the market, which shows strong interest from this segment.
This is, of course, in addition to the applications of major sportsbook operators and pro sports franchises that do not want to miss on the betting action. Bet365, NFL’s Cleveland Browns, MLB’s Cleveland Guardians and William Hill were among the major names that made last-minute submissions to the Ohio Casino Control Commission in mid-July, joining heavyweights such as DraftKings, BetMGM, PENN and PointsBet, which were among the first to apply.
All Ohio sportsbooks will commence operations on January 1, 2023, which was set by the Casino Control Commission as the universal launch date. The OCCC is currently in the process of creating rules, applications, forms, and other essentials to launch. The state estimates that sports betting will be a $1 billion industry in Ohio in its first year or so of operation, growing to $3.35 billion within a few years.
