Ohio Gambling Drops 21.8% In May, Lowest Revenue Of 2023

May was not a good month for Ohio gambling. The $80.6 million in casino revenue marks the lowest total of 2023.

The four Ohio casinos that can offer slot machines and table games generated $80.6 million, down 6.8% from April’s $86.4 million and 7% from May 2022. The state’s seven racinos combined for $115.3 million, up slightly from $114.9 million reported in May 2022.

Even Ohio sports betting took a hit, dropping 15% from April. But despite the summer slump, the state remains on track to produce the most lucrative year for Ohio casinos.

Ohio casinos take a hit in May

The most recent report from the Ohio Casino Control Commission shows, only one, Hollywood Columbus, managed a year-over-year revenue increase.

Casinos revenue in May 2023:

JACK Cleveland Casino: $21 million (down from $22.3 million in May 2022)
Hollywood Columbus: $22.4 million (up from $22 million in May 2022)
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati: $20 million (down from $22 million in May 2022)
Hollywood Toledo: $18 million (down from $21 million in May 2022)

Slot machines once again outperformed table games, generating over $58 million in revenue compared to $22.1 million from table games.

As for the top racino, that honor belongs to MGM Northfield Park, which generated over $25 million in revenue, up from $24.3 million in May 2022.

Ohio sports betting handle and revenue also drops in May

In May, Ohio sports betting also experienced a decline. For the month, the total handle came in at $446 million, down 15% from April. On the positive side, sports betting revenue didn’t drop as much as handle did. Sportsbooks generated $57.8 million in revenue, down 9% from April’s $63.7 million.

In terms of market share, the FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook accounted for 68.6% of the total handle.

The surprise is the bet365 Sportsbook taking the number 3 spot away from BetMGM. Although bet365 was able to move up to number three in terms of handle, BetMGM’s $3.9 million in revenue outperformed bet365, which reported $4.4 million in revenue for May.

Top four sportsbooks by the handle: