Ohio's casinos and racinos continue to experience ups and down as the state ramps up to 11 gambling venues by the end of the year. June was a definite downer of a month: Revenue declined at five of the six Ohio casinos and racinos that have been open for more than a year as competition picked up.

Ohio�s casinos and racinos continue to experience ups and down as the state ramps up to 11 gambling venues by the end of the year.

June was a definite downer of a month: Revenue declined at five of the six Ohio casinos and racinos that have been open for more than a year as competition picked up.

Revenue at Hollywood Casino Columbus was $15.9 million in June, a 3.6 percent dip from the previous June, according to the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

At Scioto Downs Racino, revenue was $11.1 million, a 3 percent drop from a year earlier, according to the Ohio Lottery Commission.

�The competition is intense and getting more so,� said Alan Silver, an Ohio University assistant professor of restaurant, hotel and tourism and a former casino executive.

The state has four casinos and five racinos, and the final two racinos are set to open later this year.

�The pie is now spread all across the state, and the slices are thinner,� Silver said, adding that suburban racinos have cut into the revenue of the downtown casinos, especially those in Cleveland and Cincinnati.

Central Ohio�s two gambling venues are not immune from this competition, even though it�s farther away.

�People might have been halfway between Columbus and Miami Valley Gaming (in Lebanon), and now they�re going to Miami Valley,� Silver said, adding that the Hard Rock Rocksino � Northfield Park � also could be siphoning in-between gamblers.

�The Hard Rock had the most slot revenue (at $14.4 million) of any casino or racino in the state in June. They do a great job and have loads of entertainment,� Silver said.

Overall, revenue at the state�s four casinos was $63.6 million, down 7.3 percent from a year earlier.

Hollywood Columbus spokesman Bob Tenenbaum said, �It�s still a fluid situation as the market develops, and our policy is not to comment on month-to-month changes.�

At Horseshoe Cincinnati, revenue was down 13.3 percent to $15.3 million, and revenue was down 11.9 percent to $17 million at Horseshoe Cleveland. Revenue was up 1.5 percent at Hollywood Casino Toledo to $15.4 million.

�Overall, we�re happy with our numbers,� Scioto Downs spokeswomen Ashley Redmon said. �In general, once we get into the summer months, we�re competing with more events around the city.�

Revenue at the state�s five racinos was $48.8 million in June, a 124.9 percent increase from a year earlier. However, three of the five � Hard Rock Rocksino, Miami Valley Gaming and Belterra Park near Cincinnati � were not open a year ago.

Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway is set to open on Aug. 28, Tenenbaum said.

Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course is to open soon afterward, and �we hope to announce that date very soon,� he said.

swartenberg@dispatch.com

@stevewartenberg