The Buckeye State is a mixed affair when it comes to online gambling opportunities. In this article I want to look specifically at how you can find the best online casinos in Ohio, and you may have a surprise coming.
The fact is, you must first consider Ohio state gambling laws, which currently do not allow traditional online casinos to operate in the state. So here I’ll explain a bit more about that, and show you some viable, legal alternatives in the form of sweepstakes casinos. These sites work a little differently, so if you’re intrigued, read on.
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When it comes to the best online casinos in Texas, Ohio, Washington, and many other US states, we always need to remember that online gambling laws are enforced at a state level. This means that all 50 US states have a different approach to online gambling, including what is and isn’t legal. This applies to sports betting, online casinos, and even lotteries. I discuss the legality of online casinos in Ohio below.
Traditional online casinos are not legal in the state of Ohio. As far as I’ve seen from state legislation, they have never been legal either. To give you a wider perspective, in the US, only 6 states have legalized online casinos in some form - Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. This means that Ohio is one of 44 states where online casinos cannot legally operate within state boundaries.
That’s not for want of trying though. There have been numerous attempts to pass legislation and legalize online casinos in the Buckeye State. For example, the most recent attempt was in 2024 where Senate Bill 312 was introduced - if this Bill had passed, it would have meant that the 11 physical casinos in Ohio could have each operated one online casino. However, this bill wasn’t pre-filed in time for the 2025 session, and the person responsible for drafting it is no longer in office.
While you can’t play at the best online casinos in Ohio for real money, there is an amazing alternative - sweepstakes casinos. These sites have wider US availability, with some being legal in as many as 45 states. Ohio is one such state, although there are some social casinos that do not operate here due to how they work and the features they offer.
As you will see in the next section, sweepstakes casinos in Ohio allow you to enjoy hundreds of casino-style games using virtual currencies instead of real money for gameplay. You can check out the links and comparison tables we have on this page for examples of Ohio sweepstakes casinos that you can legally sign up to, if you are over 18.
Sweepstakes casinos share many similarities with real money sites, but there are key differences too, and before you look at the ones available in Ohio, I recommend reading the sections below so you can learn how they work.
As I mentioned, unlike the best online casinos in Florida and other states, sweepstakes casinos in Ohio use virtual currencies for gameplay. There are usually two virtual currencies, most commonly called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, but some sites have different names for the virtual currencies to match their branding.
| Virtual Currency | Description |
| Gold Coins | Gold Coins or GC are the free play virtual currency. The only thing you can do with them is play games. They have no value outside of the games, and they can never be redeemed for cash prizes or turned into Sweeps Coins. When you play games using Gold Coins, you have a chance to get GC as prizes. You can usually get this virtual currency for free via methods such as the welcome bonus, daily login bonus, and referral scheme. |
| Sweeps Coins | Sweeps Coins or SC are known as the premium or freemium virtual currency. You can also play games using your Sweeps Coins (there is usually a switch to change between GC and SC) and have the chance to get SC prizes when you do so. The key difference with this virtual currency is that it can usually be redeemed for cash prizes with a conversion rate of 1:1 USD. There’s often redemption eligibility requirements though, including having a minimum SC balance, playing with your bonus SC a set amount of times, and verifying your ID. |
So, you’ve got two virtual currencies, one of which has the potential to be redeemed for cash prizes, and you can get both for free via different promotions Ohio sweepstakes casinos run, including:
The virtual currencies are the foundation of these sweepstakes casinos available in Ohio, but they are also packed with thousands of games. I’ve often found that many of the games between real money casinos and social casinos overlap, and in most instances they are actually provided by the same software developers. Examples of game categories you can find at these sites include:
Slots are typically the most numerous games and you often have hundreds of titles from developers like Pragmatic Play and Relax Gaming. I’ve also found Ohio sweepstakes casinos to have a good collection of both single player and live dealer table games including blackjack, Baccarat, and roulette. Lastly, there’s usually a range of speciality games like bingo, keno, and arcade games such as Crash and Plinko.
While I think the sweepstakes casinos serve as a top alternative to the best online casinos in Ohio, there are some potential drawbacks to think about too, so I’ve summarized their main pros and cons here:
We know that real money online casinos aren’t available in Ohio due to state laws. However, we also know that sweepstakes casinos are widely available in the state. But how do you pick the right one, and what do you look for when considering which site to sign up with? To give you an idea, I’ve listed the main features I look for when choosing Ohio sweepstakes casinos:
I expect a sweepstakes casino to give me a chunky welcome bonus and this is one of the first things I look for before registering with a site. I consider the average welcome bonus at sweepstakes casinos to be about 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins, so anything around or above this mark is fantastic. There should also potentially be some optional discounted Gold Coin packages that you can purchase as I sometimes like to treat myself and start off with a big block of virtual currencies.
The Ohio sweepstakes casino has to be functional, easy to use, and look somewhat decent. I don’t care about flashy graphics - I just want the site to look clean and modern, but most of all to prioritize usability. Ideally, there should be a clear primary navigation where I can access the main parts of the site such as the game library and my account. There should also at least be a mobile responsive version of the website so I can play the games on my smartphone. A mobile app would be nice, but few Ohio sweepstakes casinos have one - so just a mobile responsive site is fine.
I’ve never really experienced any issues with social casinos - they are straightforward to use. However, I still like to check for customer support methods. My preference is for the operator to have a live chat that I can access at any time. I don’t mind if it has an AI chatbot feature, but ultimately I want to be able to speak to a real support rep. I also look for support features like email tickets, an FAQ section, and a help center, so that I can try and get help myself.
The main reason I play at Ohio sweepstakes casinos is to have fun and enjoy the games. Because of this, I always make sure I check the game library that a social casino provides. I first want to know that the games are provided by top developers like Pragmatic Play, ICONIC21, Relax Gaming, and Booming Games. I’ll then look at the game categories and make sure they have the genres I like to play like blackjack, crash games, and instant-win arcade games. Lastly, I’ll look at the variety of games within those categories to make sure I won’t get bored easily.
The welcome bonus is just one of the main promotions these operators offer. There is also typically a wave of other ways you can get free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins at Ohio sweepstakes casinos. The main ways include:
While you wait for low deposit casinos to become available in Ohio, I want to share some words of wisdom and help you make the most of the situation. I’ve done that by listing some simple tips relating to law developments and sweepstakes casinos in the state:
In time, no deposit online casinos and other types of real money gambling sites may be legalized in Ohio. There have been attempts in the past, and Senate Bills introduced. Nothing is concrete as of yet, and there has been no development. However, I think that it’s prudent if you are an Ohio resident and interested in this subject, to keep tabs on legislation developments. As we’ve seen in other states like Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and West Virginia, laws can change, and over time, online casinos are steadily becoming more accepted across the US.
Free spins casinos or sweepstakes casinos you can find in Ohio as an alternative to real-money sites usually have active social media channels on Facebook, X, and Instagram (Facebook is typically the most popular option). If you sign up at any of our recommended sites, I recommend checking out their social media channels and following them. You will primarily find news updates and info on site developments, but most operators also have regular competitions, contests, and giveaways where you have the chance to get free virtual currencies.
When you’re using the best online casinos in Ohio, you need to be aware of two core game features - RTP and volatility. RTP represents the Return To Player percentage and it’s a theoretical amount you should get back in prizes when you play games. For example, if a slot has an RTP of 96.50% and you used 1,000 Gold Coins, you’d expect to get back 965 Gold Coins over time. You basically want to try and play games that have a higher RTP percentage. Volatility shows how often you should get prizes, and how big they can be i.e. frequency and volume. High volatility games are for the high-risk gamers as they don’t give prizes often, but you have a better chance of getting big prizes. Alternatively, low volatility games are for the conservative Ohio gamer as they give small prizes often. The downside is that you won’t get many big prizes.
I always like to play responsibly whether it’s at sweepstakes casinos or real money casinos in other states. With that in mind, I think it’s a sensible idea to make yourself aware of the various responsible gaming and responsible gambling resources Ohio has. For example, there is the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline, The Ohio Voluntary Exclusion Program, and the best sweepstakes casinos in this state also have plenty of responsible gaming tools such as Gold Coin purchase limits, timeouts, and self-exclusion facilities.
So, if you’re looking for the best online casinos in Ohio, there currently aren’t any real money options available. Real money online casinos in the state are illegal, and looking at current legislation and Senate Bills, this isn’t likely to change. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with casino-style games though and enjoy slots, table games, and more.
The state has plenty of legal sweepstakes casinos where you can sign up provided you are over 18, get free virtual currencies like Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, and enjoy hundreds of awesome games from iconic iGaming developers. We’ve got a list of new online casinos that the Buckeye State supports, so I recommend checking them out and looking at the links and tables on this page to find a sweepstakes casino to try.
No. Traditional online casinos are currently illegal in the state. There has been proposed legislation to overturn this law, but as of 2025 there has been no further developments. Sweepstakes casinos serve as a viable alternative to the best online casinos that Ohio may have in the future.
Yes. However, the legality and availability varies from site to site. There are plenty of social casinos that Ohio residents can legally sign up at and we have a list of recommendations on this page that are legally compliant with Ohio sweepstakes regulations.
This differs depending on the type of activity. For bingo you must be over 16, for Keno, Lotteries, Horse Racing, and Sweepstakes Casinos, you must be over 18, and to enter physical casinos you must be over 21.
Ohio doesn’t have any legal online casinos for US players. It DOES have a range of awesome sweepstakes casinos though where you can play using virtual currencies and you can check the comparison tables on this page for some recommendations.
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