Online Casinos in Ohio
Are real-money online casinos legal in the Buckeye State, and what can you actually play online right now?
- Real-money online casinos
- Not legal, none licensed
- Online sports betting
- Legal, launched January 2023
- Online poker
- Not legal
- Online lottery (iLottery)
- Not offered, couriers only
- Sweepstakes / social casinos
- Available, ban bill stalled
- Commercial casinos
- 4 in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo
- Racinos
- 7 statewide
- Tribal casinos
- None, no gaming compacts
- Minimum gambling age
- 21 for casinos and sports, 18 for lottery
- Regulator
- Ohio Casino Control Commission
Ohio Sits in the Middle of a $6 Billion Ring
Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia all share a border with Ohio, and all three run regulated online casinos. Between them they ran more than $6 billion in iGaming gross revenue in 2025. Pennsylvania alone hit $3.46 billion, the largest US iGaming market. Michigan collected $597.5 million in iGaming tax. None of that money comes from Ohio residents, even though the apps work the moment a Buckeye crosses the state line.
| State | Status and tax | Revenue | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| PennsylvaniaEast | iGaming legal since July 2019Tax: 54% slots / 16% tables | $3.46B iGaming GGR (2025) | Largest US iGaming market. Online surpassed retail casino revenue for the first time in 2025. |
| MichiganNorth | iGaming legal since January 2021Tax: 20% to 28% graduated | $3.1B iGaming gross receipts (2025) | Brought in $597.5M in iGaming tax in 2025. That is 22 times what Michigan collects from online sports betting. |
| West VirginiaSoutheast | iGaming legal since July 2020Tax: 15% | $340M+ iGaming revenue (2025) | First eight months of 2025 hit $227.4M, up 57.5% year over year. Five casinos hold the master licenses. |
| IndianaWest | No iGaming. Sweepstakes ban effective July 1, 2026.Tax: n/a | $0 iGaming GGR | HEA 1432 outlaws dual-currency sweepstakes statewide. Sports betting has run since October 2019. |
| KentuckySouth | No iGaming, no commercial casinosTax: n/a | $0 iGaming GGR | Mobile sports betting only, under the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation since September 2023. |
| OhioHome | No iGaming statuteTax: n/a | $0 iGaming GGR | SB 197 and HB 298 both stalled in 2025. Gov. DeWine has said publicly he is against legalization. |
Geography drives the political math under SB 197. A Cleveland resident who wants to play online slots opens FanDuel Casino while standing in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the wager clears. The same app refuses the bet on the Ohio side of the state line. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia each pulled more iGaming tax revenue in 2025 than Ohio collected from its entire sports betting market. That is the comparison Manning and Stewart cite when they file these bills, and it is what DeWine has rejected each time.
How It Happened
Voters Approve Issue 3
Ohio voters pass the constitutional amendment 53% to 47%, authorizing four commercial casinos in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo, with a 33% tax on gross casino revenue.
DeWine Signs HB 29
Gov. Mike DeWine signs the sports betting law, which authorizes 25 mobile (Type A) licenses and 40 retail (Type B) licenses under the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Sports Betting Launches
Mobile and retail sportsbooks go live statewide on the universal launch date set by the OCCC. Online wagering quickly accounts for more than 98% of total handle.
SB 197 Introduced
Sen. Nathan Manning files the Senate iGaming bill, proposing a $50 million license fee, a 36% tax rate, and online slots, poker, horse racing, and lottery under one regulator.
HB 298 Introduced
Rep. Brian Stewart files the House version, capping licenses at the 11 existing casinos and racinos, setting a 28% tax rate, and prohibiting sweepstakes casinos. The bill stalls in House Finance.
$209 Million in Tax, on Sports Alone
Ohio launched mobile sports betting at a 10 percent tax rate on January 1, 2023. Six weeks later Gov. DeWine asked the legislature to double it. HB 33 carried the increase, took effect on July 1, 2023, and pulled $209 million from operators in 2025. DeWine tried for a second doubling to 40 percent in his 2026-27 budget. The legislature stripped that hike in conference. The rate stayed at 20 percent. The history matters because any iGaming bill would land in the same negotiating room.
- 2025 OH sports GGR
- $1.05B
- 2025 OH state tax
- $209M
- GGR tax rate
- 20%
- Mobile sportsbooks live
- 16
HB 29 signed
Gov. Mike DeWine signs the sports betting law, setting the GGR tax at 10 percent and authorizing 25 Type A mobile licenses through the Ohio Casino Control Commission.
Mobile sports betting launches
OCCC sets a universal launch date. Mobile takes more than 98 percent of the first months of handle. The 10 percent rate holds for the first six months.
DeWine proposes 20 percent
Six weeks after launch, the governor asks the legislature to double the rate in his executive budget. The House version drops the hike; the Senate restores it in June.
20 percent rate takes effect
The doubled rate goes live the same day HB 33 starts the new fiscal year. Operators have six months of operating history at 10 percent before the change. DeWine signs the budget July 3.
DeWine asks for 40 percent
The 2026-27 executive budget proposal contains a second doubling, with proceeds earmarked for stadium financing and youth sports. The legislature strips the increase in conference. The rate stays at 20 percent.
The two-time doubling attempt is the political signal under every iGaming proposal in Columbus. SB 197 starts at 36 percent and floats 40 percent, which is roughly where DeWine wanted sports betting to end up. HB 298 starts lower at 28 percent, closer to what existing license holders are willing to absorb. Whichever bill moves first, the budget math suggests the headline rate goes up, not down, between first committee and the governor's desk.
Sweepstakes Casinos for Ohio
With no licensed online casinos in Ohio, sweepstakes sites are the legal way to play slots and table games online. These are placeholders until our database is wired in.
Casinos we play at. We earn a commission when you sign up through these.
Eleven Properties, Eight Major Parents
HB 298 would not open Ohio iGaming to the wider market. It would hand one online platform license each to the four OCCC casinos and the seven Ohio Lottery racinos. Eleven properties. Eight parent companies. Penn Entertainment alone holds four of the eleven slots through its Hollywood-branded venues. Most of the parents already run regulated online casinos in other states. The notable outlier is JACK Entertainment, the Cleveland operator that publicly opposes online casino expansion in Ohio.
| Venue | Parent | Note |
|---|---|---|
| JACK Cleveland CasinoCleveland Commercial casino | JACK Entertainment | Owner of the only Ohio gaming company on the National Association Against IGaming roster. Testifies against expansion. |
| Hard Rock Casino CincinnatiCincinnati Commercial casino | Hard Rock International | Took over the property from JACK in 2019 and rebranded as Hard Rock in September 2020. Parent runs Hard Rock Bet in New Jersey. |
| Hollywood Casino ColumbusColumbus Commercial casino | Penn Entertainment | Penn runs the Hollywood Casino online brand in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Same brand could ship into Ohio if HB 298 passes. |
| Hollywood Casino ToledoToledo Commercial casino | Penn Entertainment | Same brand and parent as Columbus. The two casinos give Penn the heaviest commercial footprint of any operator in Ohio. |
| JACK Thistledown RacinoNorth Randall Racino | JACK Entertainment | Companion property to JACK Cleveland. Same parent, same opposition stance on iGaming expansion. |
| Hollywood Gaming Dayton RacewayDayton Racino | Penn Entertainment | Standardbred harness track plus VLTs. One of four Penn-branded gaming properties in the state. |
| Hollywood Gaming Mahoning ValleyAustintown Racino | Penn Entertainment | Northeast Ohio thoroughbred track. Penn has four of the eleven HB 298 eligibility slots through this group of properties. |
| MGM Northfield ParkNorthfield Racino | MGM Resorts | MGM acquired Hard Rock Rocksino in April 2019 and rebranded. Parent runs BetMGM Casino in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. |
| Eldorado Gaming Scioto DownsColumbus Racino | Caesars Entertainment | Came under Caesars when the 2020 Eldorado/Caesars merger closed. Parent runs Caesars Palace Online in four iGaming states. |
| Belterra ParkCincinnati Racino | Boyd Gaming | Boyd picked up the property from Pinnacle in the October 2018 Penn/Pinnacle divestiture. Boyd holds a 5 percent stake in FanDuel parent Flutter. |
| Miami Valley GamingLebanon Racino | Churchill Downs + Delaware North (50/50 JV) | Largest Ohio racino by gaming machines. Churchill Downs has testified against Ohio iGaming despite running TwinSpires advance-deposit wagering. |
The lift-and-shift case for HB 298 is sitting in plain sight. MGM runs BetMGM Casino in four states. Caesars runs Caesars Palace Online in four states. Hard Rock runs Hard Rock Bet in New Jersey. Penn runs Hollywood Casino online in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Boyd holds a stake in Flutter, FanDuel's parent. If Ohio passed HB 298 tomorrow, eight of the eleven properties could plug an existing iGaming brand into the new license and trade quickly. The brick-and-mortar opposition Mark Stewart of Cordish cited at the June 2025 hearing, that he employs 3,000 people for a billion-dollar retail casino and one person for a half-million-dollar iGaming launch, is the counter-argument the existing license holders keep returning to.
Why Online Casinos Are Not Legal Yet
Ohio opened to large-scale gambling when voters approved Issue 3 in November 2009 by a 53 to 47 margin, allowing one commercial casino each in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo. The Ohio Casino Control Commission, set up under the 2011 Casino Control Law, regulates those venues plus the 25 mobile sportsbook licenses authorized by HB 29, which Gov. Mike DeWine signed on December 22, 2021. Neither law covered internet slots, table games, or poker.
Two iGaming bills moved in 2025. Sen. Nathan Manning introduced SB 197 on May 13 to put online casino games, online poker, online horse racing, and an iLottery under the Casino Control Commission at a 36% tax rate. Rep. Brian Stewart filed HB 298 on May 20, limiting licenses to the 11 existing casinos and racinos at a 28% tax rate and banning sweepstakes sites at the same time. Both bills stalled in committee. Gov. DeWine has publicly opposed online casino expansion, and as of May 2026 no iGaming law is in force in Ohio.
SB 197 vs HB 298, Both Stalled
Manning's Senate bill and Stewart's House bill arrived a week apart in May 2025. They share a regulator, the OCCC, and a $50 million license fee, and that is most of what they share. SB 197 opens iGaming beyond the eleven incumbents and adds online lottery; HB 298 keeps the licenses inside the existing eleven and bans dual-currency sweepstakes. At the June 4, 2025 Senate hearing on SB 197, forty witnesses testified. Two supported the bill. Both bills are paused in committee as of May 2026.
| Provision | SB 197 (Manning) | HB 298 (Stewart + John) |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Sen. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) | Reps. Brian Stewart and Marilyn John |
| Filed | May 13, 2025 | May 20, 2025 |
| Tax rate on iGaming GGR | 36 to 40 percent | 28 percent |
| License fee | $50M for five years, $5M annual renewal | $50M for five years, $10M renewal |
| Eligible operators | Open beyond the 11 brick-and-mortar holders | Only the 11 existing casinos and racinos, one platform each |
| Online lottery (iLottery) | Included | Not included |
| Sweepstakes / dual-currency sites | Not addressed | Banned by name |
| Target launch | Not set in bill text | March 31, 2026 |
| Regulator | Ohio Casino Control Commission | Ohio Casino Control Commission |
| Status (May 2026) | Stalled in Select Committee on Gaming | Stalled in House Finance |
The bigger block sits above both bills. At the 2025 Ohio State Fair, Gov. DeWine told reporters: "I'm not for it. Basically to put a casino in everybody's hands, 24-7, I think is probably not a great idea." When pressed on a veto, he answered, "I don't usually use the V word, but I'm very much against this." Senator Manning's pitch at introduction was that offshore sites take between $600 million and $2.2 billion a year out of Ohio with zero tax collection. Neither figure has moved DeWine. Until the governor's office signals openness, or a new governor arrives after the November 2026 election, both bills sit.
What You Can Play Legally
The legal options available to Ohio residents right now.
Online Sports Betting
Legal since January 1, 2023 under HB 29. The Ohio Casino Control Commission authorizes up to 25 Type A mobile licenses, used by operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars. Bettors must be 21 and physically inside Ohio, and the GGR tax rate is 20%.
Retail Casinos and Racinos
Eleven brick-and-mortar venues operate statewide: four commercial casinos (JACK Cleveland, Hard Rock Cincinnati, Hollywood Toledo, Hollywood Columbus) and seven racinos that run video lottery terminals through the Ohio Lottery Commission. The age limit on the floor is 21.
Ohio Lottery
The Ohio Lottery sells Powerball, Mega Millions, Classic Lotto, and daily draw games in person. It does not run a state iLottery. Third-party courier apps like Jackpot.com can buy physical tickets on a player’s behalf. The minimum age is 18.
Sweepstakes and Social Casinos
No Ohio statute bans the dual-currency sweepstakes model, so sites that award redeemable prizes are accessible. HB 298 would prohibit them, but the bill has not advanced. Sweepstakes casinos are not licensed by the state.
Sweepstakes Sites Are Still Legal in Ohio
HB 298 carries a sweepstakes ban inside the same bill that would legalize iGaming. The ban targets dual-currency models, the gold-coin-plus-sweeps-coin design used by Stake.us, Chumba, McLuck, and dozens of others. Until the bill moves, the model is not prohibited in Ohio. The OCCC and the Ohio Attorney General have not opened a sustained enforcement campaign against named operators here, though both hold the legal authority to do so. Indiana, just across the western border, passed its own ban effective July 1, 2026.
Where the sweepstakes fight sits in Ohio
- The bill text definition
- HB 298 defines an online sweepstakes game as one that uses a dual-currency system letting a player swap currency for a cash prize, cash award, or cash equivalent, or for a chance to win one. The ban would cover sites like Stake.us, Chumba, and McLuck. The bill is paused in House Finance.
- Bill stalled, sweeps stay legal for now
- HB 298 was referred to House Finance in May 2025 and did not get a vote in the 2025 session. Lawmakers paused it in January 2026. Without a statute, the dual-currency model is not prohibited in Ohio.
- The regulator can still act
- The Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Attorney General hold cease-and-desist authority over unlicensed gaming under existing law. Neither has filed a sustained enforcement campaign against named sweepstakes operators in Ohio, but the legal tool sits on the shelf.
- Indiana banned them next door
- Indiana enacted HEA 1432, which makes dual-currency sweepstakes illegal effective July 1, 2026. The Ohio River does not stop apps; an Indiana resident who wants to keep playing can drive across the bridge to Cincinnati and the same sites still load.
- Why operators care about Ohio
- California passed AB 2862 against sweepstakes operators in 2025, and New York is reviewing a similar bill. Ohio is the seventh-largest US state by population and one of the few remaining major markets where the model has no state-level prohibition. That is the reason the sweepstakes industry watches Columbus closely.
The state-by-state map is moving against sweepstakes operators. California enacted a ban in 2025. Indiana follows July 1, 2026. New York has a bill that would do the same. Ohio is the seventh-most populous state in the country and, for now, one of the largest US markets where the dual-currency model has no statutory prohibition. That changes either when HB 298 moves, when a successor bill in a new session moves, or when the OCCC or the Attorney General decides to test existing authority against a specific operator.
Ohio Gambling FAQ
Are online casinos legal in Ohio?
No. Ohio has not legalized real-money online casino games, and the Ohio Casino Control Commission licenses no operator to offer them. Any site advertising "Ohio online casino real money" is offshore and unregulated.
Can I bet on sports online in Ohio?
Yes. Mobile and retail sports betting launched on January 1, 2023 under HB 29. The OCCC has authorized up to 25 Type A mobile licenses, and bettors must be 21 and physically inside the state.
Are sweepstakes casinos allowed in Ohio?
Yes. No Ohio law bans the sweepstakes model, so sites like Stake.us, Chumba, and McLuck operate here. HB 298 would outlaw them as part of an iGaming bill, but that bill has stalled in committee.
How old do you have to be to gamble in Ohio?
The minimum age is 21 for the four commercial casinos, the seven racinos, and all sports betting. The Ohio Lottery, bingo, and pari-mutuel horse racing are 18 and over.
Will Ohio legalize online casinos?
Two 2025 bills tried. SB 197 from Sen. Manning and HB 298 from Rep. Stewart both stalled in committee, and Gov. DeWine has said he opposes online casino expansion. No enacted iGaming law exists in Ohio as of May 2026. We update this page when the legal status changes.