Ohio Poker Online
Ohio Online Poker Sites Poker is often a signature item in any renowned casino location. Ohio residents have their fair share of poker options available through the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos, though. Online Poker Ohio As mentioned above, players are technically allowed to play on offshore poker sites. You may find that very few poker sites will reject players from Ohio, but the majority of the top US.
For many years, Ohio was not a player in casino gambling. Players had to make the trip to neighboring states like Indiana and Pennsylvania to scratch their itch.
However, in 2009, Ohio decided to authorize the licensing of four land-based casinos. One in each of the major cities (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo). It took three years, but between May 2012 and March 2013, each of the four casinos opened its doors.
Slot machine-type gaming was further expanded by a legislative action in 2012 that put video lottery terminals (or VLTs) into the seven racetracks. VLTs are functionally the same as slot machines. They are actually administered differently and considered a form of lottery gambling, rather than a pure slot machine.
Ohio Poker News Ambassadors, Players Help Drive 888poker MTT Changes. Arsenii Malinov Wins GGPoker $25K Super High Roller For $661K. Holz And Malinowski Prepare To Face Off In High Stakes. Online gambling options There are no laws on the books for or against online gambling in Ohio. As such, there are no officially-regulated options for residents and visitors to the Buckeye State.
Best Online Poker Sites That Welcome Ohio Residents Online Poker Sites Deposit Bonuses Average Traffic Visit; Bovada Poker: 100% Match Good To $1,000: 15,000+ Players: VISIT: BetOnline Poker: Up To $900 On Each Deposit: 10,000+ Players: VISIT: SportsBetting Poker.
Still, in just five years, Ohio has managed to provide its residents with more than 18,000 video gaming and slot machine options – along with table games, poker, and horse racing.
Ohio now finds itself in an odd position: perhaps having too many casinos available for its own good, both inside and near the state. Many of the state’s gambling options are clustered in its northeastern quadrant. Revenues are declining for the four Las Vegas-style casinos. The drop is largely being blamed on the proliferation of racinos throughout the state. These attract some of the vital slots gamblers away from the four big-city venues (sometimes to racinos inside the same city).
Many experts believe that the northeastern United States in general is over-saturated with casinos. There are simply not enough customer dollars to go around.
Still, as long as state legislatures have budget overruns and a desire not to raise taxes on consumer products, casino gambling will likely be a go-to option for states in years to come. This is especially true if the door for gambling has already been opened. Below are the 11 casinos and racinos in Ohio.
Additionally, another favorite kind of gambling could be on its way to Ohio: sports betting. Read on for details.
Sweepstakes casinos in Ohio
Social casino site options
Several of Ohio’s casinos have free sites available through their websites. The two Hollywood Gaming casinos (Dayton Raceway and Mahoning Valley) and the three Jack casinos (Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Thistledown) all offer visitors the opportunity to sample the brands of slots available at their land-based operations for free. This practice continues to be a wise idea. It both familiarizes and desensitizes customers and potential customers with the variety of games they can play.
In effect, customers will know what machines they want to play as soon as they step through the door. Jack’s play money site even offers free poker and table games, further enhancing the experience. All the sites allow players to link their player cards to their play money accounts. This leaves open the possibility that the casinos could link comps to the play money functionality and increase the likelihood of new and returning customers entering the premises.
As usual, Zynga, Slotomania, Big Fish, and Doubledown are all accessible from Ohio social media sites. MyVegas, the ubiquitous MGM-owned free comp site is also available. However, its usefulness is limited, as there are no MGM-owned properties nearby. As it stands, House of Blues and Gray Line Tours are likely the only options for redemption. Still, Ohioans have some avenues if they’d like to play the games without risking any money.
Ohio sports betting
While there are a few gambling options in the Buckeye State, sports betting is not one of them, at least for now.
There are legislative efforts currently making the round in Columbus to legalize sports betting but thus far, nothing of significance has happened. One hold up lawmakers are finding difficult to overcome is deciding which government agency will oversee Ohio sports betting, the Ohio Lottery or Casino Commission.
However, at least one operator appears to be getting its ducks in a row. Penn National Gaming and Kindred have struck a partnership that would see the latter’s brand Unibet enter Ohio by way of Penn National’s Hollywood Casino. For now, the deal means nothing until sports betting is officially legal in the state.
Land-based slots options
Property | Location | Number of Slots |
---|---|---|
Belterra Park Gaming and Entertainment Center | Cincinnati | 1,300 |
Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park | Northfield | 2,200 |
Hollywood Casino Columbus | Columbus | 2,200 |
Hollywood Casino Toledo | Toledo | 2,200 |
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway | Dayton | 1,000 |
Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course | Youngstown | 850 |
Jack Cincinnati Casino | Cincinnati | 1,900 |
Jack Cleveland Casino | Cleveland | 1,500 |
Miami Valley Gaming | Lebanon | 1,600 |
Scioto Downs Racino | Columbus | 2,200 |
Jack Thistledown Racino | North Randall | 1,500 |
Online gambling options
There are no laws on the books for or against online gambling in Ohio. As such, there are no officially-regulated options for residents and visitors to the Buckeye State.
However, the state just received a commissioned study from Spectrum Gaming Group. Among other recommendations, it suggested the state legalize online gambling to maximize its tax revenue. So, it is possible that an Ohio iGaming bill could happen – particularly after legislators have a chance to see how online gambling performs in neighboring Pennsylvania.
Operator profile
Jack Entertainment
Jack Entertainment LLC is a Detroit-based proprietor of several casinos and racetracks throughout the United States. Though the majority of its holdings are in Ohio, it also has properties in Michigan, Kentucky, and Maryland. The company is a subsidiary of Quicken Loans, which means it is in the same family of companies as the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The CEO for the company is Matthew Cullen. He also serves as a principal in the Rock Ventures holding company, which is the chief administrator of all Quicken’s portfolio. However, the company’s more industry-specific expert is its chief operating officer, Mark Dunkeson. Prior to taking this role at Jack, Dunkeson served as a senior vice president for Station Casinos. They are a Las Vegas-based company that operates a chain of casinos targeting the locals market, rather than the tourist segment. This fits in well with the market of regional casinos like the Ohio offerings.
Like most Ohio casinos, Jack’s portfolio is facing increasing competitive pressure, and its revenues are suffering.
Poker Ohio Online
In fact, Jack Cleveland Casino’s revenues for December 2016 are down 32 percent from 2013. However, in that four-year span, three racinos have opened nearby, squeezing the market and making exceptional returns more difficult. The casino (and others in the company’s portfolio) are also no longer novelties for Ohioans. The initial furor – whatever it may have been – is gone.
Still, the Cleveland location reported revenue north of $200 million in 2016, so there is still significant cashflow. It remains to be seen how companies like Jack will navigate an increasingly congested market. It is reasonable to assume the consumer is in a good place to benefit from competition.
Ohio slot players and other gamblers, keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the ground. Amazing promotions could happen anytime.
State legal environment
Permitted/Offered? | Notes & Restrictions | |
---|---|---|
Land-based Gambling | Yes | Clustered in northeast part of state |
Online Gambling | No | State-commissioned study in 2016 recommended legalization, so it may not be far away |
Lottery | Yes | Includes video lottery terminals at seven racinos |
Charitable or House-based Gambling | Yes | Bingo only – charity poker disallowed |
Minimum Gambling Age | 18 for horse racing; 21 for casinos |
Some people would make you think that the very best online poker rooms for Ohio residents are simply the ones that will allow them to play but this is far from the truth. In fact, Ohio residents are not really bound to a certain group of poker sites at all... they are free to play where they want which is good because the same thing is always the best for certain people/scenarios.
Ohio Online Poker Laws
Immediately below this paragraph we discuss legal aspects of the activity however you can skip to the bottom of the page to will see our favorite places for playing online poker in Ohio. All of the sites listed here are trusted and accept Ohio citizens.
Is It Legal For Ohio Residents To Play Poker Online?
According to state laws, yes, it is perfectly legal to play online poker in Ohio, and until further notice, the state has no legal opinion on the operation of online poker rooms within the state's borders. You can find online poker rooms all over the Internet willing to do business with people from the Buckeye state, and as long as you abide by United States laws related to online gambling and funds transfers, you're acting fully within your rights to play online poker in the state of Ohio.
Where Can Ohio Residents Play Poker Online?
Despite the fact that Ohio online casinos regulated by the state won't be found, there are still a great many options to those living in the state. Poker sites operating outside of the United States generally allow players from the U.S. to sign up for accounts with their sites. Ohio players are certainly in that group that can do so.
Across all platforms, you are going to be hard pressed to find another site as complete as Bovada, especially when it comes to their poker software. They use state of the art servers and have a proven operating system which has been certified to be fair for all players who decide to play there.
Additionally, Bovada makes your dollar go futher by offering all Ohio players a one-time 100% to $1,000 matching bonus when you make the first deposit. All you need to do is deposit at least $20 using any of the deposit methods accepted here: wire transfers + VISA credit, debit, and prepaid cards.
With that bonus, players can earn extra money when playing cash games, in the sit n go tourneys, or in their scheduled tournaments like the Sunday afternoon content that has $100,000 in guaranteed prize payouts for that one tourney alone. This tourney almost dwarfs what other poker sites taking OH residents can offer in guaranteed tournaments in a month!
Visiting the homepage for the poker room at BetOnline, and you will notice several things. Among them, is an active and live list for the upcoming poker tournaments that are available for players to enter. This lets the player know what tournaments are on the schedule, including details on the buy-in and what stakes are on the table. If you are an Ohio player looking for some of best tournaments with a wide range of buy-ins and prizes, than BetOnline is certainly a great poker room choice for you.
With more than $150K in guaranteed tournament money each month, there is the chance for players to get in on many tournament at one time, as much as you can handle. BetOnline wants to be flexible and cater to their players. When it comes to tournaments, they do a great job with this.
Online Poker Sites | Deposit Bonuses | Average Traffic | Visit |
---|---|---|---|
Bovada Poker | 100% Match Good To $1,000 | 15,000+ Players | VISIT |
BetOnline Poker | Up To $900 On Each Deposit | 10,000+ Players | VISIT |
SportsBetting Poker | Every Deposit: 25% - $900 | 10,000+ Players | VISIT |
Online Poker Regulation In Ohio
As it stands, Ohio has no immediate plans to enact regulation and move forward with the potential for legal Internet poker or other gambling sites that are legal for Ohio players. While there is a push across some states in the U.S. that have either already passed, or are trying to get passed online poker bills, Ohio is on the back burner. This is not to say that we will not see future regulation within the state. But it is pretty safe to say that Ohio is not like Nevada or New Jersey leading the charge to try and have more legalized poker in the U.S.