For the longest time, the state of Ohio had very limited options in terms of online casinos. As of recently, however, the state took several important steps towards liberalizing virtual gambling, starting with submitting a bill about Sportsbook. This thaw would hopefully lead to more conversations about opening state-licensed online casinos, as well.

By the time we were ready to publish this review, the virtual space for gambling – that being online live dealer casinos and Sportsbook – was still not available to the state residents but was in the phase of negotiation between the state legislators.

The land-based industry is regulated. The residents of Ohio can bet real money on the lottery – it is state-owned. Plus, there are 4 brick-and-mortar casinos, as well as slightly less than 10 race tracks with VLTs. Bingo is allowed only when part of charitable gambling.

Players need to be at least 18 years to be engaged with lottery wagering, and 21 for casino games. There are several authorities in control of regulating the industry, including the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the Ohio State Racing Commission, and the Ohio Lottery Commission. These regulators rely on the Ohio Constitution and the Ohio Revised Code.

All of the casino activities are taxed 33% on gross gaming revenue, and it is 33.5% applied to racinos gross gaming revenues.

Based on the latest data, there were no bills for legalizing online casinos submitted for revision to the state legislators. So, we are guessing, for another few years, the residents of Ohio will need to visit international virtual lobbies to play live dealer games and slots. Luckily, there are 100s of great online operators fully certified to provide Americans with trustworthy gambling services.

As for online Sportsbook, as of 2020 things were starting to look up for bettors in Ohio. The online and retail sports betting bill was approved by the state legislators and proceeded to the Senate. Ohio is definitely jumping in on the train to make online sportsbook available ever since PASPA was overthrown by SCOTUS back in 2018.

Live dealer games popular in Ohio

The trio of top live dealer games popular in the reviewed state is blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Each of these games are available in the portfolios of most of the content creators that target the USA market.

For instance, all three types of releases are represented in the collection of Arrow’s Edge, a studio that streams its live dealer broadcasts from Costa Rica and Bulgaria. Its blackjack is a 7-seat game played with 8 decks and 2 types of side bets. Roulette is the European version and a classic variation of baccarat.

For more options per each of the games, check out the portfolio of Fresh Deck Studios. In addition to European, it also has American roulette, and blackjack is represented by classic and VIP modifications.

For rare variations of popular live releases, explore the collection of ViG. This studio has been around for more than 10 years, and during this time, managed to put together a great portfolio. For instance, it is the only USA-friendly content creator that offers live Blackjack Early Payout.

Live dealer promotions

Welcome bonuses for live games are less common than offers for slot machines. This, however, does not mean that they are impossible to find. Check out our selection of online casinos targeting the USA market (including the state of Ohio) to see some of the most recent deals. These may be available in the USD, as well as in BTC.

Plus, some brands may also roll out seasonal deals or special offers for certain studios.

The yearly gross win on casino gaming across the state usually varies around 800 million USD. Out of this amount, more than half of the gross win is generated by slot machines, with the rest brought in by the table games.

For betting, the gross win reaches some 35 million USD. However, as soon as online Sportsbook becomes available, the gross yearly win on sports betting is up for a dramatic jump to 200 million USD, according to the prognosis. For charity gaming, the current gross win per year is around 91 million USD.

Land-Based Casinos in Ohio

Land-based casinos were authorized in the state of Ohio in 2009 and the law allowed for 4 of them to be built, one per each of the following locations: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Tolo.

Back in 2009, lobbyists pushed hard for slot machines to be legalized, but the bill was withdrawn in 2010. It resurfaced back in 2018, amended and updated. Casinos and racetracks need to apply for a separate license to have VLTs on their floors.

Pari-Mutuel Betting in Ohio

Horse racing and horse betting are legal and regulated in the state of Ohio. By the time we were ready to roll out this review, there were less than 10 racetracks and racinos available across the state.

Lotteries in Ohio

Ohio State Lottery holds the monopoly on all the lottery products. The state is part of all the main national lotteries, including Powerball and Mega Millions. On a yearly basis, the state lottery yields over 4 billion USD in ticket sales. The RTP is around 65%.