What Is the Status of Online Casino Gaming in Ohio?
23 June 2021, Bremen: ILLUSTRATION – An online game is played on a smartphone. With the new State Treaty on Gambling, which comes into force on July 1, previously prohibited virtual slot machine games on the Internet and online casinos with poker or roulette will be allowed. Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa (Photo by Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Ohio sports betting will go live on Jan. 1. At the start of the New Year, bettors in the Buckeye State will be able to place wagers online and in person.
But what about online casino gambling? Will bettors be able to play their favorite casino games like online poker, slots, craps, roulette and more next year? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Online casino gaming will not be legalized at the same time as sports betting.
Online sports betting is expected to serve as a test for state regulators to determine if online casino or online poker legislation would make more sense down the road.
The potential good news for Ohio online gamers? A couple of Ohio's neighbors offer online casino gambling, meaning the pressure could be on state officials to eventually legalize it. Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are among the states that offer online casino gaming within state lines. Learn about the top online casinos here.
For now, though, Ohioans will have to get their gaming fix by going to one of the four full-service casinos or seven racinos at racetracks in the state. Additionally, social and sweepstakes casinos like Chumba Casino and LuckyLand are legal options for gamers. These types of casinos allow players to use virtual currencies to play games and potentially win cash prizes.
Ohio Sports Betting Background
Ohio sports betting will officially go live at midnight on Jan. 1. Ohio's dense population, numerous professional and college teams, along with operator-friendly rules should make it one of the top markets in the U.S. in a short amount of time.
A bill (HB 29) signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine on Dec. 22, 2021, legalized sports betting online, at casinos, racetracks, pro sports arenas, bars, restaurants, convenience stores and grocery stores.
Several Ohio sportsbooks have already started offering pre-registration deals to Ohio bettors so that they can get a head start on signing up before the official launch date. If you'd like to learn more about these offers, check them out here:
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