Ohio Gambling Laws: Are Online Poker Sites Legal in Ohio?
While there are poker sites that accept players from the Buckeye State, the bottom line is that Ohio doesn’t officially recognize online poker. Not only does the state not license or regulate poker sites, it prohibits state gaming regulators from doing so.
Ohio laws don’t prohibit poker games within its borders. Players can find games at social clubs and casinos, online at sweepstakes-based sites, and with poker operators based and licensed offshore. If only Ohio would legalize state-licensed online poker, like neighboring Michigan and Pennsylvania, it would benefit from licensing fees and taxes, and players would know more about the sites on which they play.
Ohioans have a notable variety of land-based poker options, from social poker clubs to big-named casinos from the likes of Hard Rock and Hollywood Casino. As is the case in so many states, though, thousands upon thousands of poker players prefer to play online. It’s fast, safe, and convenient. Online poker doesn’t require a long drive or hours of wait time to get a seat in a game. In fact, it doesn’t have a dress code and doesn’t charge for food and drink.
Top Sites for Online Poker in Ohio
Recent Online Poker Developments in Ohio
For the first time, Ohio lawmakers are prepared to discuss online poker and other forms of igaming, like casino games and online lottery sales.
As neighboring states like Michigan and Pennsylvania reap the benefits of online poker and gaming, Ohio merely watched them rake in millions of dollars – tens of millions, in fact – of tax revenue annually. Many lawmakers in Ohio had been operating under antiquated views that igaming would cannibalize revenue from land-based gambling establishments, and igaming would be difficult to control.
At the same time, Michigan and Pennsylvania, even West Virginia, used geolocation and multiple know-your-customer controls to monitor igaming. And by requiring online gambling operators to partner with land-based properties, those states discovered how igaming delivered new customers to the sector and used cross promotions to grow all forms of gambling entertainment.
Study Shows iGaming Benefits for Ohio
Finally, Ohio commissioned a study to examine its entire gambling industry, including the possibilities for incorporating igaming into the mix.
The result was the Report of the Study Commission on the Future of Gaming in Ohio, a 354-page report with contributions by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, members of the gaming regulator and lottery corporation, and gambling lobby organizations. While some contributors urged caution with regard to igaming, most of them supported the adoption of igaming into the current regime. Most interestingly, Ohio State Representative Rose Sweeney suggested starting with online poker and, if successful, expanding to include more forms of gambling online.
While the study noted that cannibalization fears should be considered, it emphasized the overwhelming benefits, such as revenue, consumer protections, and pulling players from the offshore gambling market and into a regulated, taxable system that would contribute to Ohio in the form of education funding and much-needed revenue.
Current Ohio Poker Laws
The gambling laws in Ohio are fairly straightforward. The definition of gambling includes all games of chance conducted for profit and players engaging in betting on or playing games of chance “as a substantial source of income or livelihood.”
To further solidify the meaning of games of chance, the law specifies that they include “poker, craps, roulette, or other game in which a player gives anything of value in the hope of game.”
The law provides no exemption to gambling prohibitions for online games, except the lottery and sports betting.
Ohioans were behind the movement to legalize land-based casinos in the state in 2009. The ballot measure in November 2009 allows voters to decide to pass or deny a constitutional amendment that would allow gaming facilities in the cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo. In the end, the vote tally showed 52% of them supported the amendment.
Poker is legal in those casinos. Players find live poker rooms at JACK Casino in Cleveland, Hollywood Casinos in Columbus and Toledo, and Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati. There are also about a dozen charity bars and “casino” facilities that run poker games with profits going to designated charities, all legal under current Ohio law.
Ohio Gambling & Poker Laws Summarized
| Type/Code | Summary |
|---|---|
| State Code Section(s) | 2915; 3763; 3769-3670; 3772; 3774 |
| Definition of Game of Chance | Poker, craps, roulette, or other game in which a player gives anything of value in the hope of gain, the outcome of which is determined largely by chance, but does not include bingo. |
| Definition of Gambling Device | A book, totalizer, or other equipment for recording bets; a ticket, token, or other device representing a chance, share, or interest in a scheme of chance or evidencing a bet; a deck of cards, dice, gaming table, roulette wheel, slot machine, or other apparatus designed for use in connection with a game of chance; any equipment, device, apparatus, or paraphernalia specially designed for gambling purposes. |
| Definition of Gambling Prohibited | Establish, promote, or operate or knowingly engage in conduct that facilitates any game of chance conducted for profit or any scheme of chance; knowingly procure, transmit, exchange, or engage in conduct that facilitates the procurement, transmission, or exchange of information for use in establishing odds or determining winners in connection with bookmaking or with any game of chance conducted for profit or any scheme of chance; engage in betting or in playing any scheme or game of chance as a substantial source of income or livelihood. |
| Online Poker/Gambling | There have been no solid efforts to legalize and regulate online poker or other types of internet gaming. |
| Live Poker | Poker rooms are available in the large casinos throughout Ohio, each with cash games and tournaments. |
| Casinos | The Casino Control Act of 2009 legalized casinos in four major cities, and the first one opened in 2012. The law also allowed racetracks to upgrade to racinos by installing video gambling machines in order to compete with the new casinos, though they do not offer table games like poker. |
| Sports Betting | A bill to legalize live and online sports betting passed in December 2021, and Governor DeWine signed it. Nearly 20 sportsbooks operated online by the start of 2024. |
| DFS | Ohio lawmakers legalized daily fantasy sports in late 2017. |
| Other Forms of Gambling | Horse racing and on-track pari-mutuel betting, bingo and games of chance for charitable organizations, lottery, social gambling. |
First iGaming Bill in 2024
With the study in his back pocket, Ohio State Senator Nuraj Antani introduced a new bill at the beginning of September 2024. The purpose of SB.312 is to “legalize and regulate internet casino gaming” and “levy a tax” by amending the current gambling laws and adding a framework for igaming.
The long-winded bill covers a lot of ground, including putting the Ohio Casino Control Commission in charge of the new igaming industry and charging significant licensing fees. Online gaming operators will also be required to pay $250K into a problem gambling fund, ensuring that responsible gambling measures remain a focus for the commission.
Most state legislation across America is introduced at the beginning of the calendar year, but Ohio maintains a unique legislative schedule. Lawmakers can pass bills throughout the year, as sessions run through November and December. Though Senator Antani is serving his last term and will leave office at the beginning of 2025, he hopes to pass SB.312 in the remaining months of 2024. There are a number of committee hearings and legislative sessions on the calendar throughout 2024 to make that possible.
Sports Betting Shows the Way
Ohio lawmakers did legalize sports betting in 2021 via a bill signed by Governor Mike DeWine. It permitted both online and live sports wagering options for people in Ohio.
Live sports betting started without much delay, and online sportsbooks launched on the first day of 2023. Initial revenue showed $779M in revenue in just the first 10 months, with $102M of that paid in taxes. And that was just the start of the industry that has since grown to offer 19 sports betting websites.
The aforementioned gaming study noted this success, as well as the responsible gambling and customer protection controls that have worked thus far for sports betting. This only bolsters the case for legalized igaming to grow the state’s gambling industry, boost its economy, and compete with neighboring states.
The Basics of Online Poker and Ohio
The state does not recognize online poker sites, as the Ohio Casino Control Commission does not have the legal authority to license and regulate online poker or casino sites.
Players in the state have found two primary ways to play online. For those not near a live casino or card club, and for the people who would rather play online for any number of reasons, there are some sites that cater to them, like sweepstakes-based and membership-based poker sites.
More popular, though, are online poker sites like Ignition Poker and BetOnline Poker. The sites are licensed by gaming regulators outside of the United States, and they offer cash games and poker tournaments to players around the United States. Ohio poker players are included in that customer base, and many of them have been playing at sites like Ignition and BetOnline for years, some even a decade or more.
Our analysts and site reviewers are not lawyers, which means they cannot give online poker and gambling advice. Therefore, the suggestions of BetOnline and Ignition, among others, are simply options that do cater to players in Ohio.
Players from Ohio have competed online at one point or another throughout their careers as pros or semi-pros. David Peters, who is the top-ranked poker player from Ohio, had earned more than $30M in live tournaments alone by the end of 2023, but he spent years grinding poker online before he made so much money at the live tables. Other prominent Ohio natives also got their starts online, such as Keven Stammen and Byron Kaverman.
Famous Ohio Poker Players
There are some live poker rooms in Ohio, namely in Toledo, Columbus, and Northfield. There are few large live tournament series that play in those casinos. These poker rooms do provide a breeding ground for new players.
Many players in Ohio also got their start playing online poker. David Peters is one of them, who is now a high-stakes live poker player who is the sixth winningest player in the world with more than $33.4 million in live winnings.
Byron Kaverman certainly got his start in poker in home games with friends and in the poker rooms in Ohio, and he has gone on to win more than $15 million in his career. He spent years honing his game online and was one of the launching pads for him and many others in his generation of players.
David “Chip” Reese hailed from Ohio. His live poker winnings totaled nearly $4 million before his untimely death in 2007. He is one of the most respected players in the game’s history, known mostly for his fierce cash game play.
As of 2023, the top-ranked live poker players in Ohio history were listed as:
1. David Peters ($33.4 million)
2. Byron Kaverman ($15.1 million)
3. Keven Stammen ($6.1 million)
4. Jacob Bazeley ($4.5 million)
5. David Reese ($4 million)
6. Joe Ebanks ($3.3 million)
7. Adam Friedman ($3.1 million)
8. Shawn Cunix ($2.3 million)
9. Joseph Couden ($2.3 million)
10. Samuel Phillips ($2.2 million)
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Ohio Online Poker and Gambling Information
Ohio Casino Control Commission: This primary site for the state’s gambling regulator outlines the laws and licenses casinos to operate in Ohio.
Charitable Ohio: Ohio’s Attorney General details charitable gambling laws and explains the registration process for facilities that want to operate charity-based poker rooms and social clubs.
OH! Lottery: The Ohio Lottery is charged with video lottery terminals, keno, and sports gambling, per links at the bottom of the home page.
Ohio Legislature: It is a resource for all legislature-related activities, as well as details about the Ohio Constitution, Revised Code, and Administrative Code. It contains House and Senate directories and all proposed and approved legislation.
Problem Gambling Network of Ohio: This is a full list of resources for problem gambling, including training, treatment, and mental health.
