(The Center Square) – Gaming revenue at Ohio’s four casinos is relatively flat, but a change in sports betting concerns industry analysts.
In February, the Ohio Casino Control Commission established new rules to allow college bets only on overall outcomes, final scores, over/under point totals and against the spread.
The change came quickly after Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged the NCAA to request the change at the end of January.
The change didn’t impact professional sports but received support from the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, WNBA, Major League Soccer and the NHL.
It came after an incident in January 2023 when Dayton men’s basketball coach Anthony Grant said his players received threats after a loss.
“The Ohio Casino Control Commission took quick action to protect student athletes from unnecessary and potentially harmful threats,” DeWine said in February. “Amending rules to focus bets on the team and away from individual athletes will improve the marketplace in Ohio and properly focus betting attention on the teams and away from individual student athletes.”
Alex Murphy, a digital PR specialist at Casinos.com, says gaming regulations are beginning to change in the state, which could impact gamblers.
“We’re seeing Ohio’s casino industry remain consistent, but the regulatory environment is beginning to shift, especially around the intersection of sports and gambling,” Murphy said. “Any future changes to betting formats will need to balance consumer interest with integrity safeguards.”
Three of the state’s four casinos showed modest gaming revenue increases from June 2024 to June 2025, with Jack Cleveland Casino showing 3.1% growth to $22.8 million in June.
Hollywood Toledo gaming revenue rose 2.8%, and Hollywood Columbus increased 0.7%/
Hard Rock Cincinnati was the only state casino to show a drop, falling 3.8% year over year from June 2024.
Overall, Ohio’s casinos totaled $82.02 million in gross gaming revenue in June, only a 0.1% increase from the previous year.
