Ohio has four licensed commercial casinos and seven licensed racinos, and the striking thing about them is how young the gaming is next to the ground it sits on. Belterra Park has raced since 1925. Scioto Downs has run harness cards since 1959. Yet every Ohio floor that gives an opening date opened inside a single 28-month window, from JACK Cleveland on 14 May 2012 to Mahoning Valley on 17 September 2014. Eight properties state a date, and all eight fall in that span. At least eight gaming floors went up in little more than two years. The hotels have been far slower: Columbus, open since 2012, only added its tower in June 2026.
That speed explains a lot of what you find on the ground today: floors built to a similar template, racinos bolted onto old grandstands, and several properties that have since changed their names.
The build-out, in order
- 14 May 2012: JACK Cleveland, the state's first full-service casino, under the Horseshoe name.
- 1 June 2012: Scioto Downs becomes Ohio's first racino when video lottery terminals arrive.
- 2012: Hollywood Columbus and Hollywood Toledo both open the same year.
- 9 April 2013: Thistledown's gaming floor opens at a track that had raced for decades.
- 2013: Miami Valley Gaming replaces Lebanon Raceway.
- 28 August 2014: Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, a $250 million development.
- 17 September 2014: Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley, three weeks after Dayton.
Hard Rock Cincinnati, Northfield Park and Belterra Park do not give an opening date for their floors.
Every floor, by region
| Floor | Region | Licence | Machines | Live tables | Google rating |
| JACK Cleveland | Northeast | Casino | 1,600+ slots | 89 | 3.9 |
| JACK Thistledown | Northeast | Racino | 1,400+ VLTs | None | 4.0 |
| Northfield Park | Northeast | Racino | 2,000+ VLTs | None | 4.1 |
| Mahoning Valley | Northeast | Racino | About 1,250 VLTs | None | 3.9 |
| Hollywood Columbus | Central | Casino | Nearly 2,000 slots | 60+ | 4.0 |
| Scioto Downs | Central | Racino | 2,200+ VLTs | None | 4.0 |
| Hollywood Toledo | Northwest | Casino | 2,000+ slots | 60 | 4.0 |
| Hard Rock Cincinnati | Southwest | Casino | 1,600+ slots | 100 | 4.0 |
| Belterra Park | Southwest | Racino | 1,200+ VLTs | None | 4.1 |
| Miami Valley Gaming | Southwest | Racino | 1,900+ VLTs | None | 4.0 |
| Dayton Raceway | Southwest | Racino | 1,000 VLTs | None | 3.9 |
Every casino and racino in the state requires players to be 21.
Four regions, four guides
Northeast. Cleveland's downtown casino sits in the Higbee Building on Public Square, with two racinos within easy reach and a fourth floor out at Austintown near the Pennsylvania line. Our Cleveland comparison covers the first three.
Central. Columbus has one casino on the west side off I-270 and one racino on the south side, on opposite sides of the licensing line. See our Columbus guide.
Northwest. Toledo has a single riverside casino on the Maumee, just off I-75, with a fully smoke-free floor. Our Toledo guide looks at the options within driving range.
Southwest. Level with the Northeast at four floors, strung between downtown Cincinnati and north Dayton, with Miami Valley Gaming roughly midway. Our Cincinnati guide covers the southern three.
The names that changed
Quick growth left a trail of renamed properties, which is why older directions and reviews can send you to a name that no longer exists:
- MGM Northfield Park is now Northfield Park Racino, after MGM sold the business to Clairvest in a deal valued at around $546 million.
- Horseshoe Cincinnati became JACK Cincinnati, then Hard Rock.
- Horseshoe Cleveland is today's JACK Cleveland.
- River Downs, originally the Coney Island Race Track, is Belterra Park.
- Hollywood Casino Columbus now markets itself as Hollywood Casino & Hotel Columbus.
Four of the eleven carry the Hollywood name, two as casinos and two as racinos; our Hollywood guide untangles which is which.
Frequently asked questions
How many casinos are in Ohio?
Eleven gaming floors: four licensed commercial casinos and seven licensed racinos.
Is there still an MGM casino in Ohio?
No. MGM Northfield Park was sold to Clairvest and now trades as Northfield Park Racino.
Which Ohio floors have table games?
Only the four casinos: JACK Cleveland, Hollywood Columbus, Hollywood Toledo and Hard Rock Cincinnati. Racinos run video lottery terminals.
What was the first casino in Ohio?
JACK Cleveland, opened on 14 May 2012 as Horseshoe Cleveland. Scioto Downs became the first racino weeks later.
Playing from home? Our Ohio sweepstakes rankings list the partners that accept the state.
