Online Casinos in Ohio, USA
Players in Ohio are still in a tough spot when it comes to gambling options. These days, you won’t find any licensed Ohio casino online, though some forms of gambling are accepted in the state. There have been conversations on the topic for some time now, and residents of the states are eager for the first licensed online casinos to enter the market.
If you were looking for the best Ohio online casino sites, we are sorry to disappoint you, but the state doesn’t license sites that offer casino games or poker. However, they are moving toward offering a richer collection of gaming options. If you want to learn more about this, keep reading.
Best Ohio Online Casino Sites
The Laws for Gambling: Is Online Casino Legal in Ohio?
Ohio is one of the US states that still hasn’t legalized all forms of online gambling. This means that we cannot provide you with a list of best online casino Ohio choices. However, even though casino games aren’t available in a legal online casino Ohio, this doesn’t mean that you cannot try your luck at offshore casinos while in the state.
In Ohio, casinos are regulated by the Ohio Casino Control Commission, set up with the Casino Control Law from 2011. This body regulates table games, slot machine operators, and land-based casinos, as well as skill-based amusement machines.
Even though the Casino Control Commission oversees most forms of gambling, horse racing is regulated by another body – the Ohio State Racing Commission. Some of the tracks already have slot machines and casino games.
Unfortunately, this is all you will find in the state when it comes to gambling. If you were looking for an online casino safe to play in Ohio, there are none. There are, however some alternatives as well as a legal free online casino Ohio option.
With many US states making this legal, Ohio is already catching up, but slowly. In 2021, its neighbors including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia started regulating gambling sites. Soon enough, we can expect to have some great choices, and then we can choose the best Ohio online casino site.
Forms of Gambling Allowed in Ohio Online Casino Laws
Casino games aren’t illegal in Ohio, but only if you play them in land-based establishments. There’s not a single online casino that is legal in Ohio at the moment. This doesn’t mean that all forms of gambling are illegal, though. In Ohio, players can gamble on:
- Daily fantasy sports since 2017
- Land-based sports betting since 2021
- Land-based casinos since 2011
- Online sports betting since 2021
- Charitable gaming since 1976
- Horse racing and pari-mutuel betting since the 1930s
As you can see, it is only online casino games that aren’t yet licensed. But, if we stop to consider that most of these were legalized just over a year ago, we can expect the state to add this to their list, too. The current choices for an online casino legal in Ohio where you can find and play gambling games today are:
- Online social casinos
- Online sweepstakes casinos
Social Ohio Online Casino Sites
Sweepstakes sites are not as popular with players as you’d assume because of their strange approach. You need to buy virtual Gold Coins to play slots and other games, and you can redeem the Sweeps Coins you win for cash prizes. This is a form of gambling that is currently permitted under the laws of Ohio.
The more popular option is social casinos in the state. Some of the racinos and commercial casinos already offer free play for gamblers online. Out of these, the best Ohio online casino would be Hard Rock Social, a site most frequented by players.
Land-Based Casinos in Ohio
Ohio has a nice range of racinos and commercial casinos across the state. The most popular of them are:
- Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati
- Hollywood Casino Toledo
- Jack Cleveland Casino
- Hollywood Columbus Casino
FAQ
- Can I gamble legally in an online casino in Ohio?
- No. While you can legally gamble in commercial casinos and racinos in the state, online gambling is not yet legalized for residents of Ohio.
- Is online casino play in Ohio illegal?
- Some forms of online gambling have become legal in 2021, such as sports betting and daily fantasy sports. However, if you are looking for casino games and poker, this is not yet legalized in Ohio.
- I found some online Ohio casino ads, should I play in them?
- You can easily come across some sites that offer gambling to Ohio residents. However, you should keep in mind that these aren’t legal or licensed by the state. Gambling at offshore casinos should only be done if you are certain that the site is safe to use.
- Can I play slots on an Ohio online casino site?
- You can find slot machines in social and sweepstakes online casinos only. This means that you can play them for free or play for Sweeps coins that you can later redeem in cash.
- Can I gamble at NJ casinos while in Ohio?
- No. NJ casinos use geolocation to check where you are based when you access their website. This means that they’ll know you are in Ohio when you try to play, and you won’t be able to access their games.