Ohio Casinos Online 2026 - Legal Casinos in OH

Ohioans can't play at legal online casino sites in the US or in online poker rooms for cash prizes. That said, the Buckeye State does have a fair number of real-money gaming options. The Ohio Lottery Commission started up the Ohio Lottery in 1973. Also, various scratchcards (now available through digital lottery purchases) have always been popular. 

The first commercial casinos and horse betting racinos opened their doors in 2012. Since then, more retail, in-person gambling locations have opened their doors. And in 2023, online sportsbooks became available for the first time, with many big operators launching in-state. (Daily fantasy sports launched in 2017.)

As of 2025, Ohio still has a few hurdles to clear. However, lawmakers are giving up without a fight. Rep. Brian Stewart confirmed that he's introducing a bill that establishes a legal pathway for iGaming. 

Currently, there are online social casinos in Ohio. They provide Gold Coins and other virtual currencies (Sweeps Coins) in place of real cash. Things get a little more complex here. Sweeps Coins can be converted to cash prizes and other material winnings, creating a bit of a legal grey area. 

On the other hand, at social casinos, you buy coins with no monetary value and play games for the fun of it. There's more of an emphasis on chatting and socializing with other players. 

Let's say you're looking to get some free credits to play blackjack, slot machines, or other classic games. Free-play casinos let you "gamble" without the stress of wagering with real money. 

As mentioned, a social casino is similar to other mobile or web games, where you play for the fun of it, and not to win real-money prizes. Some are completely free to play, while you may need to buy coins or currency at others.

If you go online to search for social casinos or free-play casinos in Ohio, you'll find various sites and apps where you can create an account and play. Fill in some basic information and you're ready to play, often without providing a credit card or other payment method.

Based on overall performance, we recommend that new users register at the Hard Rock Jackpot Casino and BetRivers Casino. Both social gambling options have more games and features than the competition, making them stand out as the best Ohio online casinos. 

We have to look into a crystal ball to answer that question. Ultimately, it's a guarantee that if and when real-money online casinos get the green light in Ohio, there will be plenty of casino bonuses. 

And that goes for both new users and established players, too. You'll be able to take advantage of a deposit bonus, reload bonus, complimentary spins, and more. 

For Ohioans who live near state lines, they'll have recourse to gamble online. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have all legalized online casinos. The law permits them to operate, and they encourage OH residents to create accounts on sites licensed in neighboring states. 

Living Near State Lines

Let's say you're traveling or close enough to make the trip across the Ohio border. You can absolutely sign up, make deposits, and play online!

Yes, Ohio does have commercial casinos, where you can gamble on location. In addition to land based Ohio casinos, there are also seven racinos, including Miami Valley Gaming, where gamblers can bet on horse races. The facility features video lottery terminals, which look like standard slots. However, they have predetermined outcomes.

The abovementioned Hollywood Casino Columbus along with El Dorado Scioto Downs are located here. The latter is a racino that has over 2,000 video lottery terminals.

Cleveland is home to only a single retail gaming facility. The JACK Cleveland Casino is located in the heart of downtown, situated right near Rocket Arena. It offers over 1,300 different games and a separate poker room. 

Cincinnati is another major city in the Buckeye State that only has a single retail casino. Ohio players, however, can rejoice at the size of this facility. It offers over 100,000 square feet of gaming space, which is quite expansive. But it's not the biggest gambling facility in Ohio — MGM Northfield Park holds that honor (200,000 square feet).

There isn't a standard, land-based casino in Dayton. However, there's a racino — Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway. It features over 1,000 video lottery terminals.

So-called "offshore" casinos use servers in various international locations. The purpose of this is to circumvent jurisdictional gambling laws. While they're typically easy to use, there's no real oversight or regulation in place to protect players. 

This can lead to significant difficulty when you go to transfer funds. Also, there could be issues with resolving technical issues and even keeping your account secure. Online casinos that are licensed and legal in Ohio are regulated by the OH Casino Control Commission. This ensures fairness, security, privacy, and more.

• Legal Casinos: Regulation, safety, fairness, customer service, latest software
• Offshore Casinos: Availability, ease of signup, fewer restrictions

It's very likely that the Ohio Casino Control Commission would be responsible for regulating OH online casinos. That said, the government may have to establish a separate organization, as is the case with the Ohio Lottery. However, we would bet on the Control Commission being the overseer of all online casino gaming in the state. 

As we talked about earlier, there are certainly some legal gambling options for people in Ohio. The state lottery, four large retail casinos, seven racinos, and several online forms of gambling are available:

It seems like every year, more states are making the move to legalize different forms of gambling. Many states have already given the go-ahead to legal real money casino sites. They include those neighboring Ohio (Michigan, West Virginia and Pennsylvania). 

Add to that the fact that Ohio has already legalized various forms of gambling. Players have visit in-person casinos, sign up for online sportsbooks, and play daily fantasy sports. It feels like both residents and lawmakers have some inclination to continue that trend with online casinos. Ohio, this means the ball is in your court!

While outgoing Governor Mike DeWine put forth legislation to legalize online casinos. However, the bill failed to gain traction. This makes it unlikely that any new laws could be put in place by the end of the calendar year. 

But there's still good news. Like we mentioned just above, there is certainly history and interest in expanding the scope of legal gambling. We may see online casinos open their digital doors in Ohio sooner than you might expect.