Ohio Casino Revenue Up 1% to $71.8m in April

The Ohio Casino Control Commission has released its gambling results for April, with the state’s four casinos collecting $71.8 million last month, up by almost 1% compared to the prior year. Meanwhile, the Buckeye State’s seven racinos fared considerably better, with their revenue rising by 8% to $89.7 million from their slots and video gaming operations.
Overall, all of Ohio’s casinos and racinos posted year-on-year gains in April, except the Jack Cleveland Casino which not only saw its business decline by 1.7%, but also returned its lowest revenue tally since the property first opened back in May 2012.
Casino Market Mostly Higher
In April, Hollywood Casino Toledo continued to dominate the market in terms of revenues,with the $18.2 million it earned from gamblers higher by 2% from the $17.9 million taken in April, 2017. The figure also represented its best April to date, beating the previous all time high set back in April of 2016.
Ohio’s other casinos, too, noted year-on-year revenue gains, which in the case of the Hollywood Casino Columbus was up by 2.7% to $19.3 million, and for Jack Cincinnati Casino higher by 1.2% to $17.5 million.
Jack Cleveland Casino Sole Exception
As mentioned, the Jack Cleveland Casino suffered a terrible April after its revenue declined to $17.2 million from the $17.5 million collected in the same month last year. At the end of March, the casino added a Synergy Arena (photo) on its first floor next to the Legends Bar in an attempt to lure millennials to the property. The electronic gaming “arena” offers customers the opportunity to play video games on 27-inch video screens, as well as traditionally casino table games, such as Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette and Craps.
The casino had hoped that the innovative concept would have given its overall numbers a bigger lift in April, but apparently the area has still performed well with Mark Tricano, senior VP of Northeast Ohio operations for Jack Entertainment, stating that the Synergy Arena had outperformed the slots operations that had previously been housed in that section of the casino.
According to Tricano, the Jack Cleveland Casino’s year-on-year losses were mostly due to Clevelandars getting lucky at the venue’s table games and slot machines, and laying out his vision of the business, commented:
“We continue to focus on the long-term investment of our property and providing our guests with a one-of-a-kind gaming and entertainment experience. The addition of Synergy Table Games builds on this commitment by adding a revolutionary arena-style adventure that has been a hit with Clevelanders looking for a fun and entertaining nightlife experience.”
Racino Business Soaring
Ohio’s seven racinos enjoyed a bumper month, with their combined revenues spiking by 8% to $89.7 million versus the $82.74 million taken in April of 2017. Leading the way was the Hard Rock Rocksino with $22.8 million in revenue, followed by Scioto Downs ($15.4m), Miami Valley Gaming ($13.4m), Jack Thistledown Racino ($11m), and Hollywood Mahoning Valley ($10.5m). Just two racinos posted single digit revenues last month, namely Hollywood Dayton on $9.2m, and finally the Belterra Park on $7.2m.
Ohio and Sports Betting
There are a dozen or so states poised to advance sports betting legislation following Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling. Needless to say, casinos across the country are eager to bump up their own revenue numbers by setting up sports betting businesses of their own, including Penn National Gaming, owner of Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway. As the venue pointed out following the landmark sports wagering decision, “sports betting could be another amenity at our Hollywood properties and help generate additional visitation, as well as drive incremental tax revenue for Ohio.”
Ohio, on the other hand, currently appears in no rush to introduce legislation legitimizing the industry, with Ohio Rep. Niraj Antani explaining that there are other more pressing issues at the top of lawmakers’ minds.
“Something as big as this is not something we should do quickly. We should take our time, vet the issue, talk to members of the public — and we should talk with the different sports franchises and see what they want to do as well. If we’re going to do this, it should be done right,” commented Antani.