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Ohio Gambling Laws + Regulations

Many residents of Ohio come loaded with questions about Ohio gambling laws and how to do it legally. There’s no surprise there – few hobbies are mired in as murky a legal situation as gambling, and good, clear information about Ohio gambling code can be hard to find.

Of course, all citizens of the United States are subject to federal law. Policies passed through the Supreme Court such as the Federal Wire Act of 1961 and The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 1992 successfully impeded and U.S. citizen’s ability to facilitate gambling illicitly and for profit without a license, but left the average citizen with the right to participate in gambling to whatever lengths they see fit.

Beyond this federal legislation, many states in the union have added their own rules and laws regarding the act of gambling on top, often making the act more regulated within some states than others. Luckily for residents of Ohio, their home state is not one of them.

While Ohio saw no need to further restrict the act of gambling than was already established by the federal courts, it’s always best to know the exact parameters and rights of one who wants to engage in a new hobby. OhioGamblingLaws will guide you in great detail and with plain language, through the gambling laws in Ohio. Our goal is to help readers get a better feel for what is, or isn't allowed in the Buckeye State, as well as how to gamble safely. Stick around!

Gaming In Ohio: Is It Legal To Gamble?...Is It Safe?

Scales

In federal law and even in most states with lax gambling policies, the best the act of gambling usually gets is the mark of “unlawful,” or “de-criminalized.” This means that in most places, the act of placing bets or wagering on games of chance is simply not mentioned within the law, or if it is defined, it is defined with no clear punishment. In Ohio, chapter 2915, which deals with gambling, starts out by declaring the act of gambling itself is entirely legal.

While this does protect a great number of Ohio residents who wish to gamble as a hobby, there are a couple of important parameters. To be clear: it is the ACT of gambling that is legal. This means that any honest residents of the state of Ohio are within their rights to wager money on games of dice, poker, or even bet on sports with no fear of repercussion. The one caveat to this rule is that Ohio gambling laws have declared that it is not a legal action to do so in public.

This means that any gambling games or sports bets must be played or placed in a private residence. While Ohio gambling laws say there is no legal punishment defined for gambling in public, it can very easily turn into a “public disturbance” citation, and it is probably worth taking whatever game is happening inside in the interest of avoiding this kind of attention.

More importantly, Buckeye State residents need to be careful that their actions avoid being “in the business” of gambling through setting up games for profit. This act is not permitted in the state of Ohio and carries some steep penalties. For just a first offense under this “gambling” charge, chapter 2915.02 Section F of Ohio legislation will charge the offender with a misdemeanor in the first degree which can lead to up to 180 days of jail time. Any subsequent offenses turn the charge into a fifth degree felony which is not only a serious mark on a criminal record, but can lead to a year in prison.

While it’s legal to bet and wager in Ohio, one must avoid being “in the business” of gambling.

Difference Between Consumers & Gambling Operators

Poker Chip

The State of Ohio defines being in the business of gambling as organizing a game of chance for profit, and it's a crime that can potentially rack up a year of jail time for illegal gaming operators.

To be clear, this does not mean setting up a private gambling game in which a resident then wins money, this is NOT an illegal act. A player in Ohio, who sets up any kind of unlicensed gambling event, needs to be sure that he or she is not acting in any such a manner that they can make money off other people’s bets or wagers without participating for themselves.

The most popular ways of doing this are maintaining a sportsbook for the purpose of keeping track of sports bets in which the bookmaker takes a cut, charging admission for the right to play in a poker game or any tabletop gambling game, or taking a “rake,” which is a small percentage of each pot given to the house as profit.

To further illustrate the point, imagine a scenario where an honest Ohio resident has joined an illicit, ill-fated poker game, and paid a shady character named Ramblin’ Jane for admission into said game. A couple hands into the game, the police bust in. All the money in the game is seized and Ramblin’ Jane is taken off to the slammer (because she took a profit), but our honest Joe from Ohio gets to drive home, albeit a little less rich.

Ohio residents must be careful never to profit from gambling other than with winnings because they could face big jail time. Other than that, it is a legal activity to participate in any gambling activity.

Betting Laws In Ohio - How The Laws Affect Gambling

Ohio Sports Betting Laws

Just as with all forms of gambling, the actual act of sports betting in Ohio is completely legal. It’s a good thing, too – with two great sports towns like Cincinnati and Cleveland within state borders, there is certainly a large demand for sports betting opportunities.

However, sports fans in Ohio need to be sure never to fall into the trap of taking bets or keeping track of them for others. The act of “bookmaking” is clearly defined by Ohio state law as doing such, and carries penalties like steep legal fines and even jail time.

Ohio Casino Gaming Laws

As long as an Ohio resident remains a mere participant, there are no laws against merely participating in any casino games all across the state. As long as a player avoid any situations where they can collect profits without playing, they are legally in the clear to play slot machines, blackjack, roulette, or any other casino games that grab their fancy.

In fact, in November of 2009 Ohio passed new legislation allowing state licensed casinos to open up in both Cincinnati and Cleveland. While there are currently only four casinos open for business in the state of Ohio, stay tuned as more could be on the way.

Ohio Poker Laws

While some states allow poker over other casino games by classifying poker as a game of “skill” rather than chance, Ohio law makes no such distinction, but it’s not necessary because participation in poker is completely legal. Ohio residents are free to take advantage of any of the new casinos to play poker or hold a private game within their own homes, just so long as they avoid the pratfall of collecting profits for hosting the poker game.

Legal Gambling Age In Ohio: What's The Age To Gamble?

Ohio residents get to live in a state firmly in the running for second most lax gambling policies in the country. (Everyone is behind Nevada.) They should not attempt to mess up a good thing by attempting to gamble underage. The legal age for casino gambling in Ohio is 21, and no matter the preferred method of gambling or venue for an Ohio resident, they should stick firmly to it in order to avoid any legal complications.

Underage gambling carries not only the inconvenience of a court date, but in all likelihood, a steep legal fine. In addition, whichever venue one is caught gambling underage in will most likely ban that player for an extended amount of time and seize any winnings. Some things in life are truly worth waiting for, and one of them is legal gambling. The penalties, and possible exclusion when you are old enough, are simply not worth violating Ohio gambling laws in any scenario.

General

18

Lottery

18

Casinos

21

Poker

18

Pari-Mutuel

18

Bingo

18

Safe Ways To Gamble In Ohio

On-Land:

As a state with some of the most lax gambling policies on record, it’s surprising that it took until 2009 for the state of Ohio to issue legal gambling permits to casinos in their state. Cincinnati and Cleveland host two casinos each to give residents centrally located to them a convenient outlet for land based gambling.

In these facilities, residents may wager on any variety of games of skill or chance for whatever stakes they would like. Unfortunately, federal law prohibits these casinos from offering sports betting, but for poker fans and general gamblers alike, these Ohio casinos should offer an enticing lineup.

The only problem with these casinos for most Ohio residents is that in a state with as much land mass as Ohio, it’s a poor assumption that everyone with an interest in gambling will live close to one of these major cities. While for some they’re a mere hop skip and a jump away, for many, many others they are a long, tiring drive. Still, it’s a better alternative than hopping on a plane to Las Vegas.

Online/Web-Based:

Luckily for Ohio residents who live far from the casinos or would just rather gamble more frequently for smaller blocks of time than an entire trip to a casino would warrant, there are several legal online gambling networks devoted to bringing a total casino experience right into Ohio residents’ homes, or even their pockets.

It’s true that any legal gambling network set up in Ohio needs a state license, and it’s equally true that Ohio has not issued gambling licenses to any online networks. However, the gambling sites listed on this page are based overseas, which places them both well outside U.S. jurisdiction so that there is no need to worry about Ohio or federal laws shutting them down, and places them inside countries with strict ethics and regulations when it comes to gambling.

These websites come certified by reputable international gaming commissions such as the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, and heavily endorsed not only by pages upon pages of glowing customer testimony, but by major media outlets who function in the United States like CBS and the USA Today. With a stable of credible media giants behind them, it’s no wonder more and more Ohio residents are turning to their internet connections to deliver them more, customizable gambling options rather than making long trips to stuffy casinos which can often force them into spending more money than they are comfortable with.

Top-Rated Ohio Gambling Sites

Bovada Sportsbook

RATED:5 Star Review

Ohio's Home For Poker, Horse + Sports Betting & Casino Games

When Ohio residents are on the lookout for a reputable online gambling network, they are always encouraged to look towards the best, and in this case the best is Bovada. After serving US citizens and Ohio residents for over 20 years, the Bovada name has become synonymous with legitimate, over the table online gambling. When one bets with Bovada, there is no need to hide in shame or worry at all where their next payout is coming from. This is the most reputable and well-established brand in the business, and through superior products and excellent customer service, they continue to prove it every day of the year.

The best part about gambling with Bovada is knowing that you have a five star customer service team at your back at all times. Gambling can be scary, especially for newcomers, but upon creating an account with Bovada you’ll receive a welcoming phone call from a real human being and a direct phone line to 24 hour customer service team. Gone are the days of feeling forced into playing games by stuffy casino employees, and here are the days of a full service, customer friendly casino. With the knowledge that you can return to the Bovada gambling network any time you wish, as often as every day, there is no pressure applied from Bovada employees to get their hands on all of your money in one sitting.

GAMBLING TYPES
Accepts Bitcoin!
RTG & Betsoft Games
$150K Poker Tourney

Safe Gambling Sites That Accept Ohio Residents

RANKED
96.4%
User Rating Average
GAMBLING TYPES
Accepts Bitcoin!
RTG & Betsoft Games
$150K Poker Tourney
ACCEPTED CARDS
RANKED
93.2%
User Rating Average
GAMBLING TYPES
Live Dealer Casino
Lifetime Bonuses
Skill Based Games
ACCEPTED CARDS
RANKED
91.4%
User Rating Average
GAMBLING TYPES
Smartphone Friendly
Weekly Poker Promos
In-Game Live Betting
ACCEPTED CARDS
RANKED
89.6%
User Rating Average
GAMBLING TYPES
18+ Years Accepted
Friendly Wager Rules
High Betting Limits
ACCEPTED CARDS

Want To Know More?...Our Final Advice

Question

While we are confident that all of the material on this page concerning is accurate and factual, we are not lawyers and therefor this cannot be considered legal advice or a consult. If you have further questions related to Ohio gambling laws, it is highly recommended that you get in touch with a qualified legal professional, or use the following link to go directly to Ohio's searchable laws database, which contains the raw language of the legislation. Much of the information on the pages here at OhioGamblingLaws.com comes directly from those statutes and is translated into something that should be easier to understand but still based in reality.