The Ohio Gaming Commission’s revenue report for the month of March shows that the state’s four casinos and seven racinos combined to generate revenue of $215 million after all bets were paid.
This marks a record-breaking month for Ohio’s gambling industry and shatters the long standing records for both casino revenue and slots revenue at the racinos.
The state’s four casinos generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of more than $91.6 million. This was an 8.7% jump and $7.3 million more than the previous record of $84.3 million set way back in March of 2013 prior to the opening of the state’s seven racinos.
And those racinos also had a record-breaking month generating $124.2 million in GGR which is 20% more than the previous record set in March of 2019. Incredibly, the racinos did this with 10% fewer slots terminals as those were closed to allow for social distancing.
Speaking of the record-breaking month in Ohio, Casey Clark, Sr. V.P. with the American Gaming Association said:
“What we’re seeing in there is a lot of pent-up demand for people who really want to get out there and enjoy entertainment options like gaming can provide.”
Clark also noted that April marks a traditional slump in gaming revenue, but that this may not be the case for 2021.
“With more vaccinations being available to people and maybe some of the easings of the restrictions that we’re seeing in terms of capacity those numbers should continue to go up.”
In Ohio, racino revenue goes through the Ohio Lottery to benefit education programs. Casino revenue goes through the gaming commission and is taxed at 33% meaning that the Ohio casinos generated a total of $30.2 million in taxes for the state.
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.