Ohio gambling revenue rises again, to record $1.94B in 2019

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, January 14, 2020

CLEVELAND (AP) — Gambling revenue at Ohio’s four casinos and seven racinos rose to a record $1.94 billion in 2019, according to figures reported by the state’s lottery and casino control commissions.

Continuing a year-to-year upward trend, it brought the total to $11.9 billion in gambling revenue since Ohio’s first casino opened in May 2012, Cleveland.com reported. That sum accounts for the money left after facilities pay out winnings for slot machines and table games, but it doesn’t include profits from horse wagering or food sales.

The total gambling revenue for last year was up more than 4 percent from $1.86 billion in 2018. The racinos, which offer only chance-based slot machines, brought in $1.1 billion, an increase of 6.2 percent from 2018. The casinos saw a smaller increase of 1.6 percent and logged $851 million in gambling revenue.

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Taxes and fees send about one-third of the revenue — or about $650 million last year — to the state.