Sweepstakes contests are legal in Ohio. The Buckeye State is one of 47 U.S. states that allow various types of sweepstakes.
Ohio gaming regulations permit sweeps casinos and traditional sweepstakes contests to operate in the state. This guide to Ohio sweepstakes laws aims to clarify the types of sweepstakes that are legal in the state, as well as point Ohio players to the best sweeps casino sites.
Quick snapshot of Ohio’s status
| Available in Ohio: | Yes |
| # of sweeps / social casinos: | 25+ |
| Are winnings taxed: | 4% at state level; 24% estimated at federal level |
| Max prize payout: | N/A |
| Minimum age: | 18 |
| Last updated: | January 2025 |
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Ohio?
Yes. Sweepstakes casinos are legal in Ohio, as they fall under the broader category of sweepstakes gaming.
If you live in Ohio, or you want to play at a sweeps casino while you’re in Ohio, you can find more than 25 top-notch platforms to choose from. Sweeps casino gaming is legal in 47 U.S. states, but the list of states in which a specific sweeps casino operates varies by casino.
Sweepstakes casino sites determine a player’s location with geolocation protocols. If you’re physically located within Ohio borders, you can play at all sweeps casinos that offer their services in the Buckeye State.
Most of the regulations that a sweepstakes contest must abide by are determined at the federal level. Most states (including Ohio) govern sweepstakes contests with very similar laws.
Some quick facts about Ohio sweepstakes laws are listed below:
- Legal age: 18
- Prize payout restrictions: Ohio doesn’t restrict the maximum amount you can win in a single spin, jackpot, or bet at a sweeps casino. You’ll see some states (like Florida and New York) cap the amount of a single win at $5,000 (or the Sweeps Coin equivalent of $5,000)
- Taxable income: All states that allow sweepstakes gaming mandate an estimated 24% federal income tax on wins of more than $5,000. Ohio levies an additional 4% state tax on sweepstakes wins exceeding $5,000.
Top sweepstakes casinos in Ohio
While not all sweeps casino sites are legal in the Buckeye State, Ohio players do enjoy access to around 25 platforms that get the stamp of approval from our experts here at Sweepsy.
The U.S. market includes hundreds of sweepstakes casino sites, any of which can offer casino-style games, sports picks games, poker, and more. Not all sweeps casinos are created equal, however.
Our team has thoroughly researched more than 100 sweepstakes casino sites. If you’re in Ohio, we recommend the following platforms:
1. Wow Vegas
Since launching in 2022, Wow Vegas has garnered a well-earned reputation as one of the best all-around sweeps casinos available in the U.S.
The game selection at Wow Vegas includes 800+ titles. The software developers behind those titles include industry powerhouses like NetGaming, Evoplay, Pragmatic Play, Atomic Slot Lab, and many more.
The slots menu at Wow Vegas includes just about every game type imaginable, including Megaways, classic three-reel slots, progressive jackpot slots, Slingo, and more. The game variety doesn’t end with just slots, however, as you’ll find live dealer games, prize drops, and more.
Wow Vegas rounds out its excellent platform with a wide variety of payment options, promotions, and player contests.
Ohio players can sign up for a new Wow Vegas account right now and receive 5 SC free as a sign-up bonus. Also be sure to take advantage of the first purchase bonus that nets 35 SC free with a $9.99 Wow Coins purchase.
2. NoLimitCoins
One of the longer-running sweepstakes casinos operating in Ohio, NoLimitCoins went live in the Buckeye State in 2021.
Ohio players can enjoy a solid lineup of casino-style games at NoLimitCoins, as well as many different payment options. The payment methods list includes traditional banking options like Visa and MasterCard, as well as PayPal, Apple Pay, and several others.
The game lineup includes 600+ titles, backed by software companies like BGaming, Slotmill, Booming Games, and more. If you enjoy slots, you’ll find plenty to like at NoLimitCoins, which presents a very slot-heavy game menu.
Bonuses and promotions at NoLimitCoins include a no-deposit offer that puts 100 Super Coins in your account to start off with. You can also take advantage of a 100% Super Coins match on your first purchase, as well as many different weekly contests, social media giveaways, and daily tournaments.
If you’re looking for table games, live dealer games, and other games outside of slots, you won’t find any of those categories at NoLimitCoins (unfortunately). If you’re a slot enthusiast, however, we definitely recommend giving this sweeps casino platform a try.
3. Stake.us
With one of the most diverse and high-quality game menus you’ll find anywhere, Stake US is in the running for the best Ohio sweeps casino (and the best sweeps casino available in any U.S. state for that matter).
The games available at Stake US include slots, live dealer games, RNG table games, arcade-style games, and even poker. If you’re looking to compete in full-scale peer-to-peer poker games with SC on the line, Stake US is one of the only sweepstakes casino sites that offers this game format.
The total number of games available at Stake US exceeds 700+, and you can expect that number to continue growing. Just about every top gaming software developer is represented here, including Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, Evoplay, ICONIC21, and several others.
Stake US only allows cryptocurrency purchases and redemptions for now, but we expect traditional fiat banking methods to appear on the platform very soon.
Ohip players can register for a new Stake US account right now and get $25 SC free. This no-purchase sign-up bonus at Stake US is one of the best available at any Ohio sweeps casino.
4. Pulsz
Pulsz Casino is one of the pioneers of the sweeps casino industry. Launched in 2020, Pulsz is one of the most well-known casino-style platforms operating in the U.S.
Slots dominate the game menu at Pulsz, and you’ll find 700+ total games available. If you’re looking for a particular slot title, you’ll very likely find it at Pulsz.
The developers behind the games at Pulsz include industry titans like NetEnt, BGaming, 3 Oaks, Pragmatic Play, and many more. While you’ll find many of the industry’s most popular slots here, you’ll also see a wide array of unique games that you don’t see at too many other sweeps casinos.
You’ll also find arcade-style games and a couple of traditional table games (although no live dealer games) at Pulsz Casino. While the game selection is a bit limited outside of slots, Pulsz delivers one of the best all-around slots lineups of any Ohio sweepstakes casino.
Sign up at Pulsz Casino right now, and you’ll unlock a 2.3 SC no-purchase bonus.
5. Chanced Casino
Chanced Casino presents one of the most player-friendly user experiences of any sweeps casino in the U.S. market. The game selection, available bonuses, and VIP rewards program alone make Chanced Casino a must-try platform for Ohio players.
The no-purchase bonus at Chanced Casino is a fairly standard 2 SC, and you also get 20 free spins. Once you’ve collected that bonus, you’re free to check out a library of 1,000+ casino-style games on the sweepstakes side of the site.
Among those games you’ll find plenty of slot titles, as well as a top-notch selection of live dealer games, RNG table games, scratchers, and arcade-style games. The game library comes to you courtesy of top software developers like Atmosphera, BGaming, Hacksaw Gaming, and several others.
The VIP rewards program at Chanced Casino is almost unparalleled among sweeps casino sites that are legal in Ohio. The multi-tiered setup pays off big for players that put in high volume at Chanced.
No matter what kinds of games you’re looking for, you’ll find plenty to like at Chanced Casino.
Ohio gambling laws: quick snapshot
U.S. states can legalize various forms of real-money gambling on an individual basis. Online sports betting is currently legal in Ohio, along with daily fantasy sports.
Real-money online casinos aren’t currently legal in Ohio, and that probably won’t change any time soon. While mobile sports betting has achieved major success in the state, real-money online casino legalization doesn’t currently have much support among Ohio lawmakers.
An online gambling was filed in the state Senate last September, but it appears that it won’t move any further.
Sweepstakes gaming is legal in Ohio, however, and sweeps casino sites fall under that legal umbrella. For now and for the foreseeable future, sweepstakes casinos give Ohio players the best options for enjoying casino-style games.
Ohio sweepstake rules and restrictions
States that allow sweepstakes gaming must follow federal regulations. Most of the 47 states that have legalized sweepstakes gaming pretty much follow the federal guidelines to the letter.
Some states add unique conditions to sweepstakes gaming. Florida and New York, for example, limit sweepstakes wins to a $5,000 maximum. However, there are no limits on sweepstakes casino payouts in California
Let’s take a look at some of the basics of Ohio sweepstakes laws:
- Sweepstakes winnings of more than $5,000 are subject to a 4% state income tax (in addition to federal income tax).
- Sweepstakes sponsors must award prizes based on chance and not skill.
- Sweepstakes participants can’t pay more than the approximate retail value of the goods or services offered by a sponsor in exchange for one or more entries
- Ohio sweepstakes laws include several provisions that essentially outlaw a sweepstakes sponsor from selling low-value/worthless products in exchange for sweepstakes entries.
Other important areas of Ohio sweepstakes law include:
To satisfy both federal and state sweepstakes laws, sponsors must offer ways for players to enter sweepstakes contetsts without having to purchase anything. Sweepstakes sponsors must clearly state a “no purchase or payment necessary” message to all potential participants.
As this rule pertains to sweepstakes casinos, they must offer “alternative means of entry” (AMOE) that allow players to play in the Sweeps Coins games offered by the casino without being obligated to make a purchase or spend any money.
All sweepstakes casinos offering games in Ohio must meet the AMOE requirement by offering at least some of the following methods of obtaining free Sweeps Coins:
- No-purchase (no-deposit) offers
- Mail-in offers
- Social media giveaways
- Daily login bonuses
Sweeps Coins (SC) function as a virtual currency that players can use in the sweepstakes games at the casino. Players can redeem Sweeps Coins for cash prizes, usually at a rate of 1 Sweeps Coin to 1 U.S. dollar.
All sweepstakes casinos give players free Sweeps Coins as a gift/bonus with the purchase of Gold Coins (play money currency) packages. While Gold Coins/Sweeps Coins bundles are a great way to collect SC, you can always obtain SC for free using the AMOE methods listed above.
You can find more details about the AMOE methods offered at a particular sweeps casino within that casino’s Sweepstakes Rules. The link to the sweepstakes rules page is usually found in the footer or side menu of the main lobby.
All sweepstakes contests operating in Ohio (including sweeps casino websites) must clearly list the official rules of the contest.
At sweepstakes casinos, the official rules are usually labeled as “Sweepstakes Rules” (or something similar) and found in the footer or side menu of the main lobby (when you’re logged into your account).
The sweepstakes rules provide a detailed outline of how the Gold Coins/Sweeps Coins dual-currency system functions and how Sweeps Coins redemptions work. The sweepstakes rules will also inform players how to use any available alternative means of entry.
Ohio sweepstakes laws don’t allow sweepstakes sponsors to promote a contest with the tactic of informing players that they’ve been “specially selected” to win something.
In most states, the language around this restriction reads something like this:
“Specially Selected means a representation that a person is a winner, a finalist, in first place or tied for first place, or otherwise among a limited group of persons with an enhanced likelihood of receiving a prize.”
In other words, a sweepstakes sponsor can’t legally send any kind of communication that indicates that a player has already won a prize, and can claim that prize by following certain next steps, etc.
A “sweepstakes sponsor” refers to the operator or administrator of a sweepstakes contest. As it relates to sweeps casinos, the sweepstakes sponsor is the casino itself (or the parent company of the casino).
By Ohio sweepstakes law, a sweepstakes sponsor isn’t permitted to sell any kind of information that could give a player a perceived edge in the contest.
Ohio sweepstakes at the Federal level
All states that authorize sweepstakes contests, must abide by federal sweepstakes gaming regulations.
More than 40 states have legalized sweepstakes gaming, and all of those states follow federal regulations very closely. Because of this, sweepstakes laws are very similar in most states.
Sweepstakes winnings of $5,000 or more (or the Sweeps Coins equivalent of $5,000) are subject to federal income tax in all U.S. states. Ohio applies an additional 4% state income tax on applicable sweepstakes winnings
Federal laws require sweepstakes (including traditional sweepstakes contests and sweeps casinos) to meet the following regulations:
- A sweepstakes is a promotion in which prizes are awarded by chance rather than skill
- Sweepstakes can’t require a purchase or payment as a condition for entry
- Sweepstakes must clearly state official rules, and those rules can’t change once the contest has begun
- Sweepstakes winnings of $5,000 or more are subject to a 24% estimated federal income tax
Florida and New York both restrict the maximum amount you can win in a single spin or bet at a sweepstakes casino. In both states, this amount is $5,000 (or the Sweeps Coin equivalent of $5,000).
Final thoughts
Ohio hosts a bustling online sports betting economy, and land-based casino gaming is available in several areas throughout the state. Real-money online casinos probably aren’t coming to Ohio any time soon, however, despite the success of other forms of real-money gambling in the state.
If you’re looking for casino-style games on safe and secure platforms in Ohio, sweepstakes casinos are your best bet. The status of sweepstakes gaming won’t likely change in the near future, and as such the Ohio sweeps casinos that we highlight in this article aren’t going anywhere.
While not every sweeps casino operates in Ohio, the list of available platforms includes some of the very best, as rated by our experts here at Sweepsy.
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