A
ccording to reports released last week by Ohio’s casino control and lottery commissions, gambling revenue for 2020 overall was down $500 million, mainly the result of full and partial closings ordered by Gov. Mike DeWine due to Covid concerns.
However, when fully operating last year, the casino and racino industry enjoyed record performances, Cleveland.com reports.
Gambling revenue totaled $1.44 billion for 2020 at the 11 facilities across Ohio, down 26% from a record $1.94 billion in 2019.
This is the money kept by casinos and racinos after paying out winnings. About a third of it is then forwarded to the state in the form of taxes and fees. The drop in revenue for 2020 will mean about $135 million less in these taxes and fees.
During December, a month in which the casinos and racinos closed at 10 p.m. daily under the governor’s coronavirus curfew, revenue totaled $132.6 million, down 22% from $169.3 million in December 2019.
The facilities were closed entirely from mid-March through mid-June.
But in each of the months in which they were fully open – January, February, July, August, September and October – monthly revenue records were set.
In the Cleveland/Akron market:
- MGM Northfield Park had revenue of $171.7 million in 2020, down from $253.6 million a year earlier.
- JACK Cleveland casino had $152.2 million, down from $212.1 million.
- Jack Thistledown Racino had $115.3 million, down from $142.5 million.
Elsewhere: Hollywood Casino Toledo ($183 million, down from $202 million), Hollywood Casino Columbus ($165.4 million, down from $229.2 million), Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati ($142.8 million, down from $207.7 million), Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs ($139.5 million, down from $183.5 million), Miami Valley Gaming ($126.5 million, down from $179.8 million), Hollywood Mahoning Valley ($92.9 million, down from $128.6 million), Hollywood Dayton ($91.9 million, down from $116.7 million), and Belterra Park ($59 million, down from $85.9 million).
Toledo’s revenue was up during weeks in which the Detroit casinos were closed.
