Ohio Code 2915.04 – Public gaming
(A) No person, while at a hotel, restaurant, tavern, store, arena, hall, or other place of public accommodation, business, amusement, or resort shall make a bet or play any game of chance or scheme of chance.
Attorney's Note
Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor of the fourth degree | up to 30 days | up to $250 |
| Minor misdemeanor | up to $150 |
Terms Used In Ohio Code 2915.04
- Bet: means the hazarding of anything of value upon the result of an event, undertaking, or contingency, but does not include a bona fide business risk. See Ohio Code 2915.01
- Conduct: means to back, promote, organize, manage, carry on, sponsor, or prepare for the operation of bingo or a game of chance, a scheme of chance, or a sweepstakes. See Ohio Code 2915.01
- Gambling offense: means any of the following:
(1) A violation of this chapter;
(2) A violation of an existing or former municipal ordinance or law of this or any other state or the United States substantially equivalent to any provision of this chapter or a violation of section 2915. See Ohio Code 2915.01
- Game of chance: means poker, craps, roulette, or other game in which a player gives anything of value in the hope of gain, the outcome of which is determined largely by chance, but does not include bingo. See Ohio Code 2915.01
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Scheme of chance: includes the use of an electronic device to reveal the results of a game entry if valuable consideration is paid, directly or indirectly, for a chance to win a prize. See Ohio Code 2915.01
- Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02
(B) No person, being the owner or lessee, or having custody, control, or supervision, of a hotel, restaurant, tavern, store, arena, hall, or other place of public accommodation, business, amusement, or resort shall recklessly permit those premises to be used or occupied in violation of division (A) of this section.
(C) Divisions (A) and (B) of this section do not prohibit conduct in connection with gambling expressly permitted by law.
(D) Whoever violates this section is guilty of public gaming. Except as otherwise provided in this division, public gaming is a minor misdemeanor. If the offender previously has been convicted of any gambling offense, public gaming is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(E) Premises used or occupied in violation of division (B) of this section constitute a nuisance subject to abatement under Chapter 3767 of the Revised Code.