The curfew affects most non-essential retail businesses.
Gov. DeWine said, “This virus can spread anytime, 24/7. We don’t want to shut the economy down, we don’t want to have a total lockdown in Ohio."
Like much of the country, the Buckeye State has seen a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases over the last few weeks. The state has recorded more than 7,000 new cases for six straight days.
Ohio is the latest state to enforce an overnight curfew, though this one is a step more drastic than orders in New York and New Jersey. The governors of those two states implemented a curfew against indoor dining from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. but people can still occupy casinos at all hours.
Gov. DeWine’s orders impact four land-based casinos and seven racinos in Ohio.
October marked a record month for the state’s 11 gaming properties, which combined for $169m in revenue, a 7% year-on-year increase. Revenue increased $4m from September despite properties continuing to operate at 50% capacity.
Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino Columbus edged out MGM Northfield Park for the top spot last month, with both casinos earning just north of $20m.
The greater Cleveland area was responsible for $53m of the monthly revenue.