Ohio Online Poker Sites

Ohio Poker Overview

There are four commercial casinos in Ohio, which are permitted to host poker rooms. There are also some small social poker rooms, such as River Room in Akron, which do not charge a rake.

Unlike several neighboring states, Ohio has not yet passed legislation permitting local companies to launch online poker sites. However, there are no laws to prevent Ohioans using online poker rooms based overseas, known as offshore poker sites.

How Old Do I Have to be to Play Poker in Ohio?

You need to be 21 or older to play poker at a land-based commercial casino in Ohio. Some forms of gambling have a minimum legal age of 18 in the Buckeye State, but sportsbooks and casinos require you to be at least 21.

There is no local market for online poker in Ohio, so it does not have an official minimum age right now. Most offshore poker rooms operating in Ohio have a minimum age of 18.

Top Poker Rooms in North Dakota

We set out to find the best online poker rooms that accept players in Ohio. Our experts identified a selection of online poker sites and conducted in-depth reviews of them, focusing on the criteria laid out further down the page.

We decided that these are the top three online poker sites for Ohio players:

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Best Poker Site for Ohio Overall

Bovada

100% up to $1,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Video poker, Blackjack +5 more Craps, Baccarat, Roulette, Keno, Live dealer.

Live Dealer: No

Payment Options: Visa, MasterCard, Bitcoins +6 more Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Secure Voucher, Bank Transfer, Check.

Bovada reigns supreme as the No. 1 poker room for Ohioans. It offers unrivaled liquidity and traffic, so you should have no trouble finding poker games and tournaments that meet your requirements. Bovada is part of PaiWangLuo, the busiest poker network in the United States, making it a great place for novices and experienced players alike.

The software at Bovada is impressive, resulting in a smooth user experience. You can download the platform or simply log into your account online. It is a feature-rich site, with customizable table setups, quick-seat features, unique bonuses, helpful data, the option of anonymous tables, and much more.

Bovada features guaranteed weekly prize pools of $2 million. There are plenty of high-roller tournaments, but it also has lots of low-stakes events for casual players. The site also offers compelling bonuses, 24/7 support, and same-day withdrawals.

• Multiple welcome bonuses to choose from, including sports, casino, and poker
• More than 300 slot machines from Rival Gaming
• Extensive sportsbook with props builder and live betting
• No fees for withdrawals

• Dedicated racebook for horse race betting on worldwide races
• Bitcoin Exclusive membership, regularly offering you more promotions such as 50% reload bonuses
• Lacks multiple bitcoin withdrawal options

Best Site for High-Rolling Ohioans

SportsBetting.ag

100% up to $3,000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Slots, Blackjack, Video poker +4 more Live dealer, Baccarat, Roulette, Craps.

Live Dealer: Yes

Payment Options: Bitcoins, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano +10 more Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Tether, MasterCard, American Express, Visa, Bank Transfer, Check.

Sportsbetting.ag is the best site for high rollers to play online poker for real money in Ohio. It accepts deposits of up to $500,000, and you can also withdraw up to $100,000 per transaction. The site hosts lots of No Limit Hold’em tournaments with substantial guaranteed prize pools, along with high-stakes cash games.

It runs on the Chico network. The network is not as busy as Bovada’s PaiWangLuo, but it still attracts a broad selection of players, including plenty of fellow high rollers. Sportsbetting.ag also offers regular bonuses and quick payouts.

• Sports betting, casino games, online poker, and esports all in one place
• Wide range of promotions, including welcome bonuses, reload bonuses, free bets, and contests
• Access the site from your mobile browser or download the SportsBetting poker app
• Large variety of banking options, including a whopping 12 cryptocurrencies
• High deposit and withdrawal limits

• E-wallet banking methods not available
• While poker traffic is decent, it falls in the medium range
• Varied transaction fees for most payouts

Best Poker Site for Novice Players

Everygame

100% up to $1000 Welcome Bonus

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Casino Games: Progressive jackpot, Slots, Roulette +3 more Blackjack, Video poker, Keno.

Live Dealer: No

Payment Options: Visa, American Express, MasterCard +7 more Bitcoins, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, EcoPayz, Paysafe, Check, Bank Transfer.

If you are just getting started in the wonderful world of online poker, look no further than Everygame. This established online poker room runs regular freerolls, which allow you to hone your skills without risking your own money. It has very low stakes, too, starting at just 2c/4c, which allows you to ease your way in.

The software is user-friendly, making it easy to find tournaments and games. Everygame also offers superb customer service and a market leading rakeback rate. As you grow more experienced, you can start competing in games and tournaments for bigger stakes at Everygame, which also offers secure withdrawals and some appealing bonuses.

• Wide variety of sportsbook bets available
• Sports welcome bonus of 100% up to $500
• Very quick response from live chat operators
• Payouts within 48 hours using preferred methods

• Confusing site navigation
• $50 withdrawal fee for bank transfers and check

Ohio Poker Sites: A Comparison

How We Evaluate Poker Sites in Ohio

We evaluate the user experience, payout speeds, customer support, security, and reputation of each site when conducting our reviews. Our experts also focus on these key areas:

Availability in Ohio

The Ohio poker sites we recommend make the registration process quick and easy. While they are based overseas, they are designed for American players.

That means you will be able to make USD deposits and withdrawals, and you will be competing against fellow players from Ohio and other states.

Game Variety and Table Types

The best operators host Limit and No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, mixed games, and more. They host everything from deepstacks to turbo poker, and they have events to suit all budgets.

As we mentioned earlier, traffic and liquidity are key concerns. We only recommend busy poker rooms that offer a broad range of buy-ins and large guaranteed prize pools each day.

Rake and Bonuses

We appreciate that poker rooms need to take a commission, as it allows them to operate a viable business and invest in high-quality software, customer support, and so on.

However, if the rake is too high, it will significantly reduce your long-term chances of earning a profit. We seek out sites with realistic fee structures, and we also factor in bonuses, promotions, and rakeback programs when calculating the cost of playing poker at a site.

Table Features

Online poker has a few advantages when compared with land-based poker. For example, you can benefit from live data while the action unfolds, you can customize your setup, you can multi-table, and you can use features like “quick seat” to instantly be placed on tables that suit your budget.

Is Online Poker Legal in Ohio?

The Buckeye State does not currently have a state-regulated market for online poker. Ohio has a reasonably liberal stance when it comes to gambling, as the state permits online sportsbooks, along with retail sportsbooks, commercial casinos, racinos, pari-mutuel wagering, DFS sites, and a lottery.

However, it has not yet passed any legislation permitting online casinos or online poker rooms. On the bright side, there are no laws that prevent Ohioans from using offshore poker sites and casinos.

You simply need to select a reputable site that can be trusted to pay out, which is why we recommend Bovada, Sportsbetting.ag, and Everygame. They have been operating for decades, and they have a wide range of gambling options.

Land-Based Cardrooms in Ohio

The best land-based Ohio poker rooms are located in commercial casinos. There are also private clubs offering poker tournaments, which are legal, provided they do not take a rake. They charge cover fees and sell food and beverages to make their money.

These are the best destinations for anyone interested in taking part in Ohio poker tournaments and cash games at a physical poker room:

Who Regulates Poker in Ohio?

The Ohio Casino Control Commission regulates land-based poker at commercial casinos in the Buckeye State. It was established in 2011, and it is tasked with enforcing the state’s gambling regulations. The commission’s remit has expanded over the years, and it now covers sports wagering, too.

Ohio does not have a state-regulated online poker market, so the commission has no oversight of any online poker rooms. However, operators such as Bovada, Sportsbetting.ag, and Everygame are regulated in their home jurisdictions. They hold remote gaming licenses, allowing them to accept players from Ohio and other states.

Ohio’s Poker Laws Compared to Neighboring States

Three of Ohio’s neighboring states have regulated online poker markets. Michigan recently overtook Pennsylvania to become the largest state-regulated market for online poker in the United States.

It is part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), along with West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada. That allows those states to pool players. Pennsylvania has not joined MSIGA, so online poker rooms in the Keystone State can only accept players from Pennsylvania, resulting in lower traffic and liquidity.

The Future of Poker in Ohio

Ohio may legalize online poker rooms in the future, but it will be a long and painstaking process. It took several years to roll out a regulated online sports betting industry in Ohio, and poker would be harder to push through the legislature.

Three neighboring states have online poker markets, so Ohio may eventually feel compelled to follow suit, but it is unlikely to happen any time soon.

In the meantime, you can use offshore poker sites in Ohio. Just make sure you only play at safe, established, and trusted sites like Bovada, Sportsbetting.ag, and Everygame.

Responsible Gambling in Ohio

There are lots of services and tools available to help you gamble responsibly in Ohio. You can set limits on your account – including time limits and deposit limits – at the best sites, and they also list warning signs that could potentially suggest a gambling problem.

If you need support, you can visit the sites listed below:

• Problem Gambling Network of Ohio
• Gamblers Anonymous
• GamTalk
• National Council on Problem Gambling
• SAMHSA National Helpline

Ohio Gambling Legal Sources

• American Gaming Association – Ohio
• Gambling in Ohio News Release, 2011
• Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement
• Ohio Casino Control Commission
• Ohio Lottery, History and Facts
• Revised Ohio Code § 3775.02