Historically, Ohio has been one of the states that have been trying hard to get into the gambling game, with some success in 2009 when the Ohio Casino Approval and Tax Distribution Amendment Passed, allowing four land-based casinos to be built in four strategic locations around the state. This amendment had mixed reactions with the majority feeling positive of the changes, especially since the 33% fixed tax to gross casino revenue would greatly benefit the state.

Prior to the amendment, the people of Ohio had to travel to neighboring Pennsylvania for gambling entertainment. Once the much-anticipated brick and mortar casinos were built in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo, the possibility of online casino options became the next talking point. Although it is still illegal to offer online gambling from within the state of Ohio, gamblers can join online casinos that are fully licensed and regulated outside the United States and offer their gaming service to American players.

Top 5 Ohio Online Casino Sites

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Ohio Online Gambling

Even though Ohio has opened up to gambling in casinos, the popularity of online casinos has grown even more. Not all players can travel to brick and mortar casinos for a little fun and entertainment when they want, which is why the instant access and convenience of online casinos are incredibly attractive features that appeal to lots of gamblers in the state.

While the laws around online gambling are still a little gray, players from the state can join certain sites that are open to American players; they just cannot be based inside the state of Ohio. Because of this, many players get confused about the requirements that allow them to legally gamble online.

With the millions of online casino sites available at any given time, it leaves many players open to potential fraud through scam sites that try to look like legitimate casinos. To help keep gamblers in Ohio safe without taking away their right to enjoy legitimate online casinos, there are certain things that players should keep an eye out for to help spot fraudulent sites.

Ohio Offshore Casino Statistics

Ohio is the 6th most active state that participates in offshore online gambling at casinos as of 2020 with a gross win amount of $41.93m.  Ohio contributes to 3.61% of all offshore casino activity in the United States for 2020.

Click here to see a breakdown of all offshore gambling activity broken down by state. The following is a breakdown of all offshore casino gambling from Ohio since 2003.

*Note: Data from 2020 are currently based on estimates.

Source – H2 Gambling Capital

Offshore gambling statistics for sports betting from Ohio can be found here.

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US Casinos – What to look for

For anyone new to the online gambling scene, it can feel a little stressful to find a legitimate online casino with a good reputation but there are a few things to look out for to make sure the site can be trusted.

The first thing to look out for is the gambling license on the site. Normally, they are easily found at the bottom of the homepage or can be obtained from the help support pages. Alternatively, players can contact support for this information. Not only do sites that have a license have the right to provide cash gambling entertainment online, but they are instantly more reputable for international players.

The jurisdictions that most online casinos will have a license with will be from any of the following:

• United Kingdom – UK Gambling Commission
• Gibraltar – Gibraltar Regulatory Authority
• Malta – Malta Gaming Authority
• Kahnawake – Kahnawake Gaming Commission
• Isle of Man – Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission
• Curaçao – Curaçao Gaming Control Board
• Costa Rica – Costa Rican Gambling Commission
• Alderney – Alderney Gambling Control Commission

Reputable US casinos in particular, will most likely be licensed in the jurisdiction of Curaçao by Curaçao eGaming.

Another good factor to look out for is third-party regulators that periodically audit sites to ensure they follow fair play practices in all of the casino games offered to players. Although not all casinos will have this information published, all of the top reputable online casinos will hire a third-party company to check and approve the site.

For many players, it can feel discouraging trying to find good online casinos that accept players from the US. Many casinos will have country restrictions or will not offer banking options for US players, which makes gambling difficult. A quick check on the terms and conditions of an online casino will usually give full details of which countries are prohibited from playing on the site, along with the currencies and banking options offered to site members.  For further details, you can read this article here for a more comprehensive guide.

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Ohio Gambling Laws

As it stands, gambling in Ohio is limited to placing bets on horse races, brick & mortar casinos (which includes casinos on Indian reservations), tag fishing tournaments, charitable lottery fundraisers, and limited gambling for non-profit organizations that host bingo and raffle events.

Apart from placing the odd bet on a licensed race on a horse track, bookmakers or betting on sporting events is still strictly illegal in the state of Ohio.

Legal Disclaimer:

WagerDex has disclosed the above statements as information only. We do not purport that the information is complete nor correct in entirety. The above statements are not be used as specific legal advice. No attorney and clients relationship exists between WagerDex and readers of this site.