Hollywood Casino Columbus Review for April 2026

Hollywood Casino Columbus is the largest casino in Ohio in terms of gaming space. With a 160,000 square feet gaming floor, it offers players a full service experience with slots, live dealer games, poker room and sportsbook.

Owned by Penn Entertainment, the Hollywood Casino brand has a reputation for game variety, great theming, good dining choices and accessible locations and Hollywood Casino Columbus is no different.

Located on the west side of Columbus, conveniently just off Interstate 270, Hollywood Casino Columbus is easily reached from all major highways around the city. That means it appeals to both locals and tourists looking for a casino day out.

Up until now, there has been no onsite hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus, which has limited its reach and appeal to potential visitors. However, at the time of writing, it is currently mid-development on an attached hotel that is expected to open in April 2026. This review, therefore, will focus on what you can expect as a visitor to Hollywood Casino Columbus prior to the hotel opening.

The convenient location of Hollywood Casino Columbus is one of its main advantages. Situated just off Interstate 270 on Columbus’s west side, it’s easy to reach by car from many parts of Central Ohio and suburban areas.

Columbus is naturally a central hub in Ohio anyway, so many visitors come from nearby towns such as Dayton and Springfield for a day out. Cincinnati is less than two hours away and Cleveland is just under 3 hours. 

In fact, Hollywood Casino Columbus is so convenient, it actually attracts visitors from out of state. Although you would think its central location would deter out-of-state visitors, its accessible road links do the opposite. Casino-goers from the likes of Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania can make use of easy-access from I-70 and I-71, making it just a 3-4 hour drive.

Locals also have the option of using ride share or public transport. Speaking of which, the local bus service COTA (Central Ohio Transit Authority) travels right by the casino with Bus Routes 10 and 6 stopping off at West Broad Street just a few minutes walk away.

Although Ohio has plenty of options when it comes to casinos, none offer a bigger casino than Hollywood Casino Columbus. Its 160,000 square feet casino floor is on par with the likes of Aria and MGM Grand in Las Vegas, to give you a comparison.

Not only that, but it is also the only casino in Columbus to offer live dealer tables and it also features the largest poker room in central Ohio. Basically, when it comes to gaming, Hollywood Casino has it covered!

When I first walked in, I was impressed with the size and layout of the casino, it certainly gave me Vegas vibes. What stood out mostly was how spacious it was. All of the slots were laid out with nice big spaces in between, making for a really comfortable playing experience.

What also stood out was the high ceilings and clean smoke-free environment. The good news for smokers, though, is that there is a smoking and gaming patio area just off the main casino which is around 8,000 square feet which has its own bar.

One thing I did find disappointing was the theming. I expected a bit more ‘Hollywood’ in terms of decor and installations. However, other than a few black and white photos and old-movie style lettering on the signage, there wasn’t much else. There was, however, an element of the spectacular about the casino layout. There were several bill boards, a big circular walkway and some ornate pillars around giving it a small hint of glamour.

You’ll find 65 live dealer table games at Hollywood Casino Columbus including all the classic favourites. Walking around I saw blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat and poker games along with different versions of each.

Most of the games were situated in one section on the main casino floor, however, there are a few separate areas with table games too such as the baccarat room and the high limit room which is being renovated for a Fall 2026 opening.

Generally, the live dealer area was well maintained, the tables and chairs were in good condition and there was a lively atmosphere at a few of the tables. I wouldn’t say it was jumping, but there was plenty of chatter and the usual buzz when players are winning.

I found a $10 roulette table so I played for a little while. The dealer was friendly and professional, but a little quiet for my liking. I’m used to a more vibrant playing environment but it was an afternoon visit so it would probably be different in the evening.

I did see both $5 and $10 blackjack tables which were the busiest tables in the casino. I was told the $5 minimums disappear on a weekend but you can generally find $10 and $15 options which is still great value. Here's a summary of the table games I saw:

• Blackjack
• Craps
• Roulette
• Mini Baccarat
• Three Card Poker
• Crazy 4 Poker
• Face Up Pai-Gow Poker
• Mississippi Stud
• High Card Flush

If poker is your game, then Hollywood Casino Columbus might just be for you. Its 34‑table live poker room offers Limit Hold ‘Em, No Limit Hold ‘Em, Limit Omaha High/Low and Pot Limit Omaha. Poker players can enjoy professional dealers, automatic shufflers, and tableside service whatever your skill level. 

Open daily 10am - 4am, there’s daily promotions, so it pays to be a member of PENN Play plus you can check out availability and join waitlists on the Bravo app.

The casino also had a stadium games area for electronic table games. Here, you can play versions of roulette and craps on a machine rather than at a table with much lower minimums. This area looked fairly popular on my visit. 

Slots

Most of the Hollywood Casino Columbus gaming floor is taken up with slots, around 1,700 according to the website. What struck me wasn’t just the variety of the slots, but the space in between them. It’s quite rare to find casinos with lots of playing space, most casinos cram them in without putting player comfort first, so it was a welcome sight.

I would say the slot selection was varied and good rather than excellent. The reason for that is because although they had loads of my favorite slots and plenty of well-known games, there wasn’t anything new. For example, there were plenty of Huff N’ Puff slots but I couldn’t find any of the more recently released variations. Saying that, it feels like there’s a new Huff N’ Puff slot every month at the moment so it's hard to keep up!

Anyway, I digress. I don’t want to undermine the slot selection here, there was more than enough to play and keep me entertained. I just observed what I consider to be a lack of brand new slots to the market. I felt like I had played all of these games before. 

For anyone wanting to play, you’ll find loads of great options. Dragon Link, Cash Burst, Ultimate Fire Link, Wheel of Fortune and Buffalo Gold to name a few. I also felt that the casino had a larger than normal number of retro games in old-school cabinets such as Cleopatra and Triple Diamonds. 

If you’re into video poker then there’s a large VP area at the back of the casino offering games such as Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker, Ultimate X and Super Times Pay. Plus, if you enjoy playing higher denomination games, then the high limit slots area has around 100 slots for bigger stakes.

As for payouts, it really depends on whether you win or lose as to whether you think the casino is loose or tight when it comes to payouts. It's very subjective to your own experiences. What we do know about this casino is that it is regulated by the Ohio Casino Control Commission which regularly inspects gaming equipment and returns to assess fairness and RTP stats. In 2023, a $200,000 fine was imposed on Hollywood Casino Columbus in 2023 for regulatory violations so you would hope that they are now very much toeing the line.

Sportsbook

The ESPN BET Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Columbus is a great place to watch the game and soak up the atmosphere. At around 12,000 square feet, it offers a stadium style viewing experience with a large LED video wall showing multiple games at once.

To place a bet you can do it over the counter with one of the agents, or use any of the multiple betting kiosks around the casino. You can bet on all the major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) plus golf, tennis, boxing, soccer and MMA. Plus, you can wager on college sports which are huge in Ohio.

If you’re hungry while you watch the game, the sportsbook has its own menu offering everything from burgers, wings, pizza and sandwiches with a full bar menu too. The sportsbook had a lovely buzz to it when I visited so I stayed for a drink and enjoyed the vibes.

Rewards Club

Hollywood Casino Columbus uses the PENN Play rewards system here, as do all Penn Entertainment resorts. 

I signed up for free at one of the kiosks, but you can also do it on their app if you prefer. It only took me a couple of minutes and all new players get an instant bonus on sign up, usually somewhere between $10 and $50 in PENN Cash. I just got the minimum, but, hey, it’s better than nothing!

Once you’re a PENN Play member, you earn Tier Points and PENN Cash when you play slots and table games. You can then redeem PENN Cash for free slot play, food at the restaurants, hotel rooms at sister resorts and show tickets. Meanwhile Tier Credits increase your status from the basic Play level up to Advantage, Preferred and Elite status where you get monthly bonuses, VIP treatment and overall better perks.

I recommend getting the PENN Play app as it tracks everything for you, shows you what promotions are available and it works across the casino, restaurants, and entertainment. If you’re a regular player, it's definitely worth signing up for and you only need one card that can be used in all PENN properties.