May numbers were boosted by the presence of five Saturdays and Sundays on the calendar. April had only four weekends.
Miami Valley Gaming, a racino just east of Monroe, reported net winnings of $10.8 million in May, one of three racinos to surpass the $10 million mark.
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway reported $7.4 million in revenue, the fourth straight month the racino in north Dayton has surpassed $7 million.
The Horseshoe Cincinnati casino had its second-best month of the year with $16.7 million in revenue. It made more money despite an 82 percent payout rate on its table games, the highest of the state’s four casinos.
Belterra Park, a racino located southeast of Cincinnati, broke the $6 million mark for the first time with $6.2 million in winnings.
The Hard Rock Rocksino in suburban Cleveland led all racinos with $18.7 in net winnings — its highest total ever. That was second among the state’s 11 gambling venues; only the Horseshoe Cleveland casino did better with $19 million.
“They created a tremendous facility and people who go there have a good time,” state Sen. Bill Coley, R-Liberty Twp., said of the Hark Rock. “They do 75 concerts a year; they have a comedy club. People are enjoying that facility. That was a model.”
Coley recently introduced legislation to limit tax-free promotional spending for casinos and racinos unless they offer more slot machines and table games, which would require gaming companies to invest more in their facilities.
“There are 12 million residents in Ohio, divide by 11. That’s over a million people for facility. That’s one of the highest in the country,” Coley said. “Ohio is one of the least-saturated markets in the country and that’s why it’s attractive.”
Ohio’s casinos and racinos have given out more than $185 million in free play this year.
The Hollywood Mahoning Valley Race Course near Youngstown and the Hollywood Toledo casino were the only Ohio gaming businesses to give out less than $1 million in free play last month.
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