Ohio casinos

Ohio Casinos Online

Up until 2011 gambling in the buckeye state was pretty much limited to horse race betting and lotteries. Then everything changed just like that. Within a few years, residents of Ohio had access to nearly 20,000 slot machines, hundreds of table games and large scale poker tournaments. Four commercial casinos had opened up and as many as seven racetracks were offering gaming machines.

While these venues are still operating today, land based gambling is losing more and more players to internet casinos and it’s no wonder. Playing online has a heap of benefits, with convenience and much better chances of winning being the ones that mainly attract people to internet gambling. Slots have considerably higher payout percentages, while bonus offers come in much greater numbers.

Juridically, internet gambling is yet to be legalized in the buckeye state. However, you can already play at hundreds of online casinos in Ohio as there are plenty of gambling sites operating from outside of America that allow Ohioans. You won’t get in trouble for doing so. On the following page we have provided more information about this and also listed the very best Ohio casinos online.

Best online casinos in Ohio listed and reviewed


As passionate gamblers we at casinowebsites.com want to share our many years of experience with internet casinos and guide fellow risk-takers to the very best Ohio casinos online. The below listed sites are all world class operators that provide a secure gambling experience with a huge game selection; wide range of valuable bonus offers; 24/7 customer support and fast withdrawal times.

1.
aloha-shark

100% up to €/£/$1400 plus Free Spins

2.
Slots Of Vegas Review

250% up to $2,500 +Free Spins

Have fun playing at Slots of Vegas for a fun and vibrant gaming experience. Plus there are over 80 free online slot games and several bonuses.

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3.
Cherry Gold Casino Review

270% Bonus +13 Free Spins on Cash Bandits 3

Have yourself a special, sweet, cherry flavoured welcome treat. Just for joining the Cherry Gold Family!

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4.
BoVegas Casino Review

550% bonus up to $5500 +21 Free Spins

Experience luxurious Las Vegas gameplay at the comfort of your own home!

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5.
RedDog Casino Review

225% Bonus +20% extra for Neosurf or BTC deposits

Hundred casino games to offer, which you can find in different categories satisfying all – or at least most – online casino players.

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How do I gamble at online casinos in Ohio?

Spinning on slots, playing table games and taking part in other forms of casino gambling online is very easy. You probably don’t need us to guide you through it, but just in case we have done so anyway. The entire gambling process consists of the following seven stages:

Picking a site to play at à signing up an account à checking out bonus offers à depositing money à enjoying the gambling à requesting a cash out à verifying your account

  1. Pick a site to play at
    Any of the best Ohio casinos that we have recommended above will most likely satisfy you. They offer a similar experience which is about as good as it can get. One thing that does vary between them is, however, if sports betting and poker against other players is available or not. Some sites offer this while others have channeled all of their resources into casino games. 
  2. Sign up an account
    This is a basic account creation procedure that you’ve probably gone through a thousand times. You’ll be asked to provide your name; home address; date of birth; e-mail and phone number. With some casinos a confirmation code will be sent to you as an e-mail or SMS.
  3. Check out bonus offers
    One of the best things about internet gambling is that bonus offers come in large numbers and as you may or may not already know these are great for boosting your long term chances of winning. Before depositing we suggest heading over to the casino’s promotional to page to see what they have in store for you. At the very least you’ll be able to grab a welcome bonus.

    It’s important that you read through the terms and conditions that the offers come with. These contain valuable information that is very good to know about.
  4. Fund your casino account
    Have you ever purchased something online? Then making a deposit should be child’s play as the process is either very similar or identical. With the best Ohio casinos listed by us you’ll be able to fund your account using debit cards, bitcoins and by making a wire transfer. We personally recommend depositing with Visa or Mastercard as this will instantly fund your account with money.
  5. Let the gambling begin
    Bonus active? Check. Deposit made? Check. Well, then what are you waiting for? Now is the time to enjoy yourself. Browse through the hundreds of slot machines, table games, video pokers and other gambling products that are offered and enjoy the exciting fun of them.
  6. Request a cash out
    If you’ve been a good boy or girl and said your prayers to lady luck you’ve hopefully been rewarded with a neat cash boost. This means that it’s time to make a withdrawal. Requesting a cash out is just as easy as depositing money. You usually can’t do it to a debit card though, but options available normally include wire transfer, bitcoins and check by courier. Bitcoins is the fastest method, but for most people making a wire transfer is the most convenient one.
  7. Verify your account
    All legitimate online casinos in Ohio have safety measures installed to prevent duplicate accounts; fraudulent behavior and underage gambling. This means that before any of your requested withdrawals can be approved you must first go through a verification process. You do this by sending the casino a photo copy of a passport, driver’s license or other valid identification.

Still have questions about gambling online?

If so you can find comfort in the fact that all of the gambling sites that we have listed are offering an outstanding customer support that can be reach on live chat, e-mail and phone all around the clock. They are more than happy to help you out with any questions that you may have; anything from how to play a certain game to taking part of bonus offers and verifying your account.

It’s not officially legal but it’s not necessarily illegal either as internet gambling isn’t directly addressed in the state law. It’s a bit of grey area. While it might be true that the gambling laws that exist could potentially be used to prosecute someone that is playing online, no one has ever been charged for doing so. The law enforcement simply has way more important things to deal with than tracking down individuals who are enjoying themselves with internet gambling.

So while it isn’t legal on paper, it’s perfectly fine playing casino online in Ohio. It’s more likely for you to win a million dollar jackpot gambling over the internet than facing charges for doing so. A risk well worth taking if you ask us.

Lotteries: Legal

Social gambling: Legal

Charitable gambling: Legal

Poker games: Legal

Casino games: Legal

Bingo games: Legal

Lotteries: Legal

Social gambling: Legal

Charitable gambling: Legal

Poker games: Legal

Casino games: Legal

Bingo games: Legal

A brief look at the history of gambling in Ohio

1807: Unlike many American states Ohio never had any problems with lotteries being corrupt. This did, however, not stop them from becoming banned as this year saw the criminalization of them.

1933: Pari-mutuel betting on horse racing is legalized and becomes very popular.

1973: A state run lottery program is formed and tickets start going on sale the following year.

1980: Legalizing casino is up for discussion, but the bill eventually fails.

1990: In a vote the people of Ohio disapprove of legalizing casino gambling.

1996: State residents once again get to vote on the matter of casino gambling – this time if riverboat casinos should be allowed. Once again they disapprove of it.

2001: A bill that would allow racetracks to offer casino games is turned down.

2002: Racinos are once again up for discussion as two bills are introduced, but both of them fail.

2009: The constitution is amended to allow for commercial casinos to be built in Cincinnati; Cleveland; Columbus; and Toledo.

2011: Racinos become legal, allowing racetracks to offer electronic video gaming machines (slots).

2012: The first commercial casino in Ohio opens up – Horseshoe Cleveland.

2016: Lottery sales hit a record high with $3 billion in annual revenue.

Land based gambling venues in Ohio


Are you looking to mix up your internet sessions with some real casino action coming from an authentic gambling experience? If so, you have a pretty good selection of land based venues to visit in Ohio; especially if you’re a fan of slot machines. The buckeye state is home to four commercial casinos and seven racinos, and more or less all of these venues are offering over 1,000 slot machines. We have listed details about them below.

Casinos in Ohio

Hollywood Casino Columbus
Address: 200 Georgesville Rd, Columbus, OH 43228
Slots: 2,200

Hollywood Casino Toledo
Address: 1968 Miami St, Toledo, OH 43605
Slots: 2,000

Jack Cincinnati Casino
Address: 1000 Broadway St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Slots: 1,900

Jack Cleveland Casino
Address: 100 Public Square, Cleveland, OH 44113
Slots: 1,500

Racinos in Ohio

Belterra Park Gaming and Entertainment Center
Address: 6301 Kellogg Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45230
Slots: 1,300

Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park
Address: 10777 Northfield Rd, Northfield, OH 44067
Slots: 2,200

Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway
Address: 777 Hollywood Blvd, Dayton, OH 45414
Slots: 1,000Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course

Address: 655 N Canfield Niles Rd, Youngstown, OH 44515
Slots: 850

Jack Thistledown Racino
Address: 21501 Emery Rd, North Randall, OH 44128
Slots: 1,500

Miami Valley Gaming
Address: 6000 OH-63, Lebanon, OH 45036
Slots: 1,600

Scioto Downs Racino
Address: 6000 S High St, Columbus, OH 43207
Slots: 2,200

Bonuses offered at Ohio casinos online

Any player looking to maximize their chances of winning should consider taking part of bonus offers. While we can’t beat the casinos no matter how much we try, promotional offers is a way for them to give away some of their edge, which in return ensures that people keep playing with them.

A great thing about gambling over the internet is that the competition between operators is huge. This has forced the casinos to offer more and more bonuses in order to attract and retain players.

Below we have taken a brief look at the many different types of offers that you are likely to come across when gambling online. 

Welcome bonuses

This is a bonus offered to new players making their first deposit. It’s usually the most valuable one you can get as the welcome bonus is a great opportunity for casinos to market themselves. The bonus will normally match your first deposit with extra cash up to a certain amount. This amount tends to be high and the wagering requirements needed to be fulfilled before cash out fairly low.

Reload bonuses

These offers are similar to welcome bonuses. In other words, they will match your deposit with extra cash. It’s quite common for this type of bonus to be offered as an exclusive loyalty reward to frequently visiting and depositing players. 

Refer-a-friend bonus

Some online casinos in Ohio will give you a fixed sum of cash (often around $50) for each person that you invite to play with them. The way the bonus works is that you’ll generate a unique sign up link that is tied to your account. When someone signs up through this link and makes a deposit you get rewarded for it.

Lottery draws

These promotions allow you to win anything from exotic trips around the world to the latest electronic gadgets and substantial cash prizes. They’re usually quite simple; for every deposit made of a certain amount or every time you’ve wagered a certain sum of cash on a certain type of game you receive a lottery ticket. Then at the end of the promotion period a drawing takes place.

Competitions

Just like lottery draws, competitions can have a wide range of different prizes. Unlike them these types of promotions can, however, vary a lot in their designs. Sometimes winning is as simple as being the player wagering the most money within a certain period of time. But competitions can also consist of creative slot tournaments where you gather points for scoring consecutive wins; big wins; and for completing other types of objectives.

Cashbacks

This type of bonus is running over a certain period of time with the weekend being quite common. The way that it works is that a certain percentage of all the net losses you’ve had during this time frame is returned to you. The cashback is often set to 10% or 20%.

Free spin offers

These bonuses will give you free spins on one or several slot machines. Sometimes you get them by making a deposit; sometimes by wagering money; and sometimes by completing a mission such as triggering a bonus feature in a slot.

Live dealer bonuses

Many of the best Ohio casinos that we have listed on top of the page offer a live dealer section. Here you can enjoy roulette and blackjack against real, professional dealers through a live video stream. It’s not too uncommon to find some really interesting bonuses to be offered on these games. This could for instance be that winning on a certain number on roulette would give you an additional cash prize or that special cash cards have been hidden in the decks on the blackjack tables.

Good will bonuses

If you don’t think that the casino is offering enough bonuses you can usually have a chat with the support and ask for one. If one is handed to you this would be a so called good will bonus – a bonus given as an act of kindness. Don’t expect to always receive a bonus like this though as the decision is likely to be based on your recent deposit and withdrawal ratio.

FAQ about gambling and casinos in Ohio

How old do I have to be to gamble in Ohio?

When it comes to land based gambling you have to be at least 21 to visit any of the venues offering slots (the casinos and racinos). Lotteries and other type of gambling can be indulged in at 18.

Gambling over the internet is different as the vast majority of Ohio friendly online casinos allow anyone at the age of 18 or older to sign up and play with them.

Can I smoke at land based casinos in Ohio?

You cannot. All of the commercial casinos in Ohio are totally against smoking. If you’re planning a late night visit you should also know that after 2:30 am no alcohol is served as all bars close at this time.

Is it legal to set up a home game of poker in Ohio?

It is as long as you follow certain rules. All participants have to be related with each other in one way or another. In other words you all have to be family, colleagues or friends. The person who is hosting the game isn’t allowed to benefit from it either, which means that charging rake is out of the question. Other than that you’re good to go.

How much is the state of Ohio earning from gambling?

About $400 million every year. This is coming from taxes and lottery sales.

Are online casinos and their games trustworthy?

In general, yes. Most gambling sites are serious businesses that care about their players; are overseen by governments and have had their games approved by independent testing companies. If you were to pick a gambling site at random it’s highly unlikely that you would experience any difficulties with it as shady casinos are quite few in numbers. They do, however, exist which is important to know of.

Therefore we wouldn’t recommend playing anywhere else than at the best Ohio casinos that we have listed on top of the page. These are not only approved by us, but have an outstanding reputation among millions of Americans.  

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