Ohio Casino Revenues Up 7% to $72.1M in February

Casino revenues in Ohio increased by 7% to $72.1 million in February compared to the same month last year, according to the latest results published by the Ohio Casino Control Commission. When revenues from Ohio’s seven racino horse tracks are added to that figure, gambling revenues in “The Buckeye State” actaually totalled $144.4 million last month, higher by 11% from last February’s tally of $130.4 million.
Ohio then collected 33% of gaming revenues by way of taxes, which was subsequently divided out amongst school districts, local government, and some of the state’s larger cities, such as Toledo. Commenting on the overall impressive results, gaming industry expert Alan Silver explained:
“Statewide, it was a very positive month over last year. I am seeing a strong market in Ohio currently.”
In fact, all of the state’s 11 gambling venues reported improvements in their year-on-year revenues, with the exception of the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland (photo) which was down by 9% from last year. On the plus side, Hollywood Casino Toledo was up by almost 13% to $17.2 million, while Cincinnati and Columbus were both higher by around 14%.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s seven racinos generated $72.2 million in Febraury, compared to the $62.8 million collected in the same month in 2015. This includes a 20.8% rise in revenues at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, with revenues from its 940 slot machines reaching $8.2 million. As well as racinos near Youngstown and Dayton, Penn National Gaming Inc also owns the Hollywood casinos in Toledo and Columbus, and commenting on February’s result, Penn National Gaming Inc senior VP said Eric Schippers said:
“The revenue numbers for Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, and for all four of our Ohio facilities, are reflective of our continued focus on delivering best-in-class customer service and entertainment value.”