CLEVELAND, Ohio — Gambling revenue in Ohio is down for the third month in a row, signaling that the record pace for casinos and racinos could be over.
Ohio’s casinos and racinos brought in $189.1 million in gambling revenue in June, $7.7 million shy of the revenue brought in during June 2021, according to reports Thursday from the Ohio Casino Control and Lottery commissions. This is the money kept by the gambling houses, after paying out winnings, but before state taxes and fees.
The state’s four casinos brought in $3.2 million less in gambling revenue in June compared to June 2021, but they were still $11.3 million ahead of 2019.
It was a similar story for the state’s seven racinos. They brought in $4.5 million less this June than in June 2021 but made $16.5 million more than they did in 2019.
Casino revenue was stable in April and May, within a quarter million dollars of 2021′s numbers. But the racinos were down $7.5 million in May and $2 million in April.
Even with three slower months, gambling revenue in Ohio is still higher midway through 2022 than it was halfway through 2021, which was a record year with $2.3 billion in gambling revenue despite an overnight curfew put in place because of COVID-19 for part of the year.
Through June 2022, $1.17 billion in gambling revenue has been brought in by Ohio’s 11 casinos and racinos, compared to $1.15 billion in 2021 and $970.0 million in 2019, before the pandemic.
Gambling in the Cleveland-Akron area is seeing a similar slowdown, although one of three gambling establishments posted gains.