Ohio
Your Quick Guide to Gambling & Casinos in Ohio
Eleven casinos and racinos. Over $10 billion wagered on sports in 2025. College football betting that's actually legal. Ohio has quietly built one of the most active gambling markets in the US. Get to know where, how and what you can gamble on in Ohio.
Gambling Options Available to You in Ohio
Ohio has more options than most people realize; and a few quirks that make it unlike any other state.
Online Sports Betting
Legal since January 1, 2023. Ohio bettors wagered over $10 billion in 2025 alone; the most in state history. FanDuel and DraftKings control roughly two-thirds of the market, with bet365, BetMGM, and Fanatics rounding out the top five. You must be 21+ to bet.
Prediction Markets
Platforms like Kalshi let Ohio players trade on real-world outcomes like sports results, elections, economic data, all under federal CFTC oversight rather than state gambling law. Predictions are a sharp alternative that's accessible in Ohio right now with no state-level restrictions.
Daily Fantasy Sports
DFS has been legal in Ohio since 2016, regulated as a skill-based game. FanDuel and DraftKings both operate full DFS products in the state. Ohio players can enter contests across NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college sports. Minimum age is 18. No state restrictions on entry fees or prize pools.
Betting Kiosks
Ohio is one of the few states with sports betting kiosks at bars, restaurants, and other licensed venues. Think of it as a lottery terminal, but for NFL Sunday. Hundreds of kiosks are scattered statewide, regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission. A uniquely Ohio way to bet.
Horse Racing
Ohio has a long horse racing tradition. The Ohio State Racing Commission licenses live thoroughbred and harness racing at tracks like Thistledown, Belterra Park, and Scioto Downs. Year-round simulcast wagering is available at tracks and racinos, and advance deposit wagering platforms let you bet online.
Ohio Lottery
The Ohio Lottery has been running since 1974 and funds public education. Scratch-offs, Powerball, Mega Millions, Keno, it's all here. The lottery also oversees racino gaming statewide. Minimum age is 18. Online ticket sales are not offered directly by the state, though courier apps operate in a gray area.
Social Casinos
Social casinos let you play all your favorite casino games, including slots, blackjack, roulette, poker — completely free. No real money involved, no risk, just fun. A great way for Ohio players to enjoy the casino experience without any financial stakes. Log in, pick a game, and enjoy.
Online Casinos
Not yet legal and Governor DeWine has publicly said Ohio already has "enough gambling." Bills HB 298 and SB 197 were introduced in 2025 but stalled in committee. Ohio is surrounded by states with legal iGaming (Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana), the pressure to follow is building.
Casinos & Racinos
Ohio has four commercial casinos (slots + table games + poker) and seven racinos (slots + horse racing). All 11 venues are regulated by the Ohio Casino Control Commission and the Ohio Lottery Commission respectively. Hollywood Columbus consistently leads the state in monthly revenue.
The Ohio Gambling Landscape
Ohio came late to the casino party. Most gambling was outright illegal until 2009, but it has more than made up for lost time. Voters passed Issue 3 in November 2009, authorizing one commercial casino in each of Ohio's four largest cities. The first opened in 2012. Today, the state runs four full casinos and seven racinos, generating around $2.4 billion in combined annual gaming revenue. Then sports betting launched on January 1, 2023, and Ohio broke the all-time U.S. monthly handle record in its very first month, accepting over $1.1 billion in bets.
Ohio's sports betting market has a few traits that set it apart. College sports betting is fully legal here. You can bet on Ohio State football, something that's still prohibited in a number of states. Prop bets on individual college players were banned in March 2024 (DraftKings was fined $425,000 for violating that rule), but team-level markets are wide open. Ohio also has hundreds of sports betting kiosks at bars and restaurants statewide, a retail footprint unlike almost anywhere else in the country.
The one thing Ohio conspicuously lacks, and is increasingly aware of, is legal online casino gaming. Four of Ohio's five neighboring states have legal online casinos: Michigan to the north, Indiana to the west, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to the east. When Ohioans drive across the border to play DraftKings Casino or FanDuel Casino on their phones, the state is literally watching tax revenue walk out the door. Bills to fix that stalled in 2025, but the conversation has not gone away.
How Ohio Compares to Neighboring States
Ohio is outpaced on the iGaming front by nearly every state that surrounds it. Michigan has a thriving online casino market with 15 licensed operators. Pennsylvania and West Virginia both have legal online casinos and poker. Indiana is the outlier to Ohio's west, with no online casino gaming either, though sports betting is legal there. Only Kentucky to the south is in a similar boat, having launched sports betting in 2023 but not yet moved on online casinos. The political and revenue pressure on Ohio lawmakers to act is only going to grow.
Top Gambling Experiences in Ohio
Things to know about right now.
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Read Full BioFAQs
Yes, gambling is legal in Ohio across several formats. Ohio legalized casino gaming in 2009, and today residents can legally participate in Vegas-style casino games, horse racing, the state lottery, video lottery terminals (VLTs) at racinos, charitable bingo, and raffles. Sports betting was added more recently, becoming legal on January 1, 2023, when the state joined over 36 others and Washington D.C. in authorizing some form of sports gaming.
It depends on the type of gambling. Legal age limits range from 16 to 21. The legal age to play bingo is 16. You must be 18 to participate in Keno, the state lottery, and horse racing. The legal age to play at casinos is 21.
There are 4 casinos and 7 racinos spread across different cities in the state. Racinos can only offer VLT terminal games. The Ohio Casino Control Commission regulates casino establishments, while the Ohio Lottery oversees racinos and updates video lottery terminals.
Not yet, though there is legislative movement on the topic. Real money online casino gaming remains prohibited, though lawmakers in both the state House and Senate have introduced separate bills that would legalize it. Both bills would require players to be at least 21 and physically located in Ohio to participate. In the meantime, sweepstakes casinos are a popular legal alternative — these look and feel like standard online casinos but use virtual currencies rather than real money.
Illegal forms of gambling in Ohio include slot machines outside of licensed establishments, dog fighting, unregulated craps/dice games, internet-based casino gambling, and private poker games held in unregulated settings, including private homes. Penalties can be serious — first-degree misdemeanors may result in up to 6 months in jail and fines of up to $10,000, while felonies such as allowing underage persons to gamble or making false statements during registration carry even stiffer consequences.
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