Permitted Gaming

Ohio permits charitable gaming (bingo, instant bingo, raffles and festivals), horse racing, the State of Ohio operates a lottery and in November 2010 a constiutional amendment authorizing 4 casinos (1 in each of Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and Cincinnati) was passed.

Legalization

In 1973 Article XV, § 6 of the Ohio Constitution was amended to permit the General Assembly to authorize an agency of the State to conduct lotteries and amended again in 1975 to authorize and regulate bingo conducted by charitable organizations for charitable purposes.

Indian Casinos

There are no Indian casinos or tribal state gaming compacts in Ohio.

Gaming Expansion

Two (2) attempts have been made legislatively to expand casino gambling, House Bill No. 128 (1989-1990 Session), which passed the Ohio House by a 57-42 vote, but died in the Senate Ways and Means Committee; and House Bill No. 93 (1993-1994 Session), which died in the House State Government Committee. There have also been three statewide ballot issue campaigns to expand casino gaming opportunities under the Ohio Constitution (1990, 1996 and 2006). All were through the referendum and initiative process which the voters rejected by a 62-38 percent margin each time.

In 2009, Ohio voters finally authorized the creation of four casinos by a 53-47 percent margin. The casinos will be located in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. In 2010, the Ohio legislature authorized horserace tracks to operate video lottery terminals, further expanding the gaming landscape in Ohio.

Annual Wagers

In fiscal year 2000, over $2.15 billion was wagered on the state lottery. In 1999, over $627 million dollars was wagered on horse racing and over $780 million was wagered on charitable bingo, including instant bingo.