Overview of Legal Gambling in Ohio | Ohio.bet 

Gambling in Ohio is legal in many forms, but illegal in others. Read our overview of legal gambling in Ohio before placing your bets. 

Legal Gambling in Ohio  

Most forms of gambling in Ohio are legal, but there are some important exceptions. Legal gambling in Ohio includes sports betting and land-based casino wagering, but it excludes online casino gameplay.  

To ensure you know where you stand, we have compiled this complete guide to legal gambling in Ohio, including where you can and can’t bet and which types of wagering are legal. 

Is Gambling in Ohio Legal?  

Gambling in Ohio is legal in various forms but illegal in others. For instance, online sports betting is allowed, but playing at online casinos is not. The legal gambling age in Ohio also depends on the activity:  

• Bingo = 16  

• Lottery = 18 

• Horse racing = 18  

• Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) = 18 

• Online sports betting = 21 

• Casino = 21 

Ohio Gambling Options You Have in 2025

✅Online sports betting  

✅Land-based sports betting (retail sports betting) 

✅Land-based casino gambling  

✅Land-based poker  

✅Parimutuel horse racing  

✅Gambling at racinos  

✅Gambling at sweepstakes casinos  

✅Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) betting  

✅The Ohio Lottery  

Illegal Gambling in Ohio  

❌Online casino gambling  

❌Online poker  

❌Private poker games with rake 

Who Regulates Legal Gambling in Ohio?  

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) regulates all gambling activities in the state. Established in 2011, the commission oversees casinos, most sports betting options, and other gambling-related activities.  

The Ohio State Racing Commission is another state regulatory body focusing exclusively on parimutuel horse racing and related activities.  

These two authorities are responsible for regulatory compliance and the issuance of licenses to all legal sportsbooks and casinos.  

A Brief History & Timeframe of the Legality of Gambling in Ohio  

Legal gambling is a relatively new concept for Ohioans. Land-based gambling has only been legal in the state since November 2009, when new legislation was passed allowing casinos to open in four cities (Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, and Toledo). 

Before this, only charitable gambling and parimutuel wagering on horse racing were permitted in Ohio. The latter was legalized in 1933 and only at selected venues.   

Sports betting was legalized in January 2023, following the passing of House Bill 29 in 2021. Here’s a timeline of the key events relating to legal gambling in Ohio, so you can see how the state’s gambling situation has evolved over the decades:  

• 1933: The legalization of parimutuel horse racing.  

• 1973: A constitutional amendment in Ohio legalized charitable bingo. 

• 2009: State Issue 3 permitted the establishment of four land-based casinos in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, and Toledo. 

• 2011: ORC Chapter 3772 established the OCCC, which is responsible for regulating land-based casinos.  

• 2017: House Bill 132 was passed, legalizing Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS).  

• 2021: House Bill 29 was passed, legalizing online sports betting. The first online sportsbooks were officially launched in January 2023.  

List of Legal Land-Based Gambling Venues in Ohio  

If you want to gamble in person at a venue in Ohio, you can visit land-based casinos, racinos, and poker clubs. Betting at these venues has been legal since 2009, generating millions in tax dollars annually for the state.  

Below are the details of the casinos, racinos, and poker clubs you can currently visit in Ohio:  

Land-Based Casinos in Ohio  

• Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, Hamilton County 

• Hollywood Casino Columbus, Franklin County  

• Hollywood Casino Toledo, Lucas County  

• Jack Cleveland Casino, Cuyahoga County  

Racinos  

• Belterra Park Cincinnati, Hamilton County  

• Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs, Franklin County  

• Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, Montgomery County  

• Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, Mahoning County  

• Jack Thistledown Racino, Cuyahoga County  

• MGM Northfield Park, Summit County  

• Miami Valley Gaming, Warren County  

Poker Clubs  

• Ace High Poker Club, Oxford  

• Deep Stax, Holland  

• Mad River Poker Club, Dayton  

• PokerHub, Riverside  

• Ruggles Social Club, West Chester  

• Spades Social, West Chester  

• Viking Social Poker Club, Steubenville  

Online Betting Options in Ohio   

If you prefer the convenience of online betting in Ohio, the good news is that many of the biggest names in gambling operate in the state. Today, sixteen online betting sites are regulated by the OCCC.  

The Best Legal Sports Betting Sites in Ohio

Though you can’t play online slot machines or casino table games at these sites, you can bet on all sports and leagues, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. After reviewing all legal online betting options in Ohio, here are the top sites to sign up for today with a decent welcome bonus:  

The Top Sweepstakes Sites for Casino Gameplay  

The only way to legally play online slots and table games in Ohio is to sign up for a sweepstakes casino, sometimes called a social casino. These sites operate two virtual currencies – gold coins and sweepstakes coins.  

Gold coins can be used for free and unlimited play, while sweepstakes coins are for promotional play. If you win while playing in promotional mode, you can redeem the coins for cash prizes and gift cards.  

Sweepstakes casinos are legal and accessible in Ohio, and we recommend the following sites as the top five places to play slots, video poker, and table games in an online social casino environment:  

• NoLimit Coins: Sign up with promo code “COINGMBLR” for 400,000 Gold Coins and 500 Super Coins.  

• Funrize Casino: Sign up with promo code “FUNGMBLR” for 75,000 tournament coins. 

• Chumba Casino: Create an account today for 2,000,000 Gold Coins and $2 in Sweeps Coins as a new customer.  

• LuckyLand Slots: Claim up to $10 in Sweeps Coins and 10,000 Gold Coins when you register.  

Free Poker Sites in Ohio  

Although real-money online poker isn’t legal in Ohio, you can play free poker at some sites. Global Poker is the best option, while Stake.us has several poker games.  

What Does the Future Hold for Legal Gambling in Ohio?  

Most forms of gambling are legal in Ohio, with a few notable exceptions. The main one is that online casino gambling is currently illegal, which many are keen to change in the coming years.  

Ohio might follow the example set by Pennsylvania, Michigan, and several other US states, which started with online sports betting before extending into online casino gambling.  

This would be a big deal for Ohioans, and we expect House bills to propose legalizing real-money online casino games in the coming years.  

As reported by WKYC, both the House and the Senate have introduced competing bills that might legalize online casino gambling in the coming months or years, but there’s a long way to go. 

Should real-money casino gameplay be legalized, we will update this page with any Ohio House and Senate developments.  

Get Started with the Latest Ohio Bonus Codes  

If you’re keen to start legally gambling online in Ohio, kick things off with a bankroll boost when you join BetMGM, FanDuel, BetRivers, or any other top site. 

We regularly update our Ohio promo codes page with the latest deals, promotions, and boosts offered at legal betting platforms.  

Be sure to check for the offers and promotions available to you and sign up for legit online betting sites in Ohio with the relevant code.