Ohio Expands Its Voluntary Exclusion Program to All Casinos and Racinos
Published: June 6, 2022
The Voluntary Exclusion Program (VEP) in Ohio has recently expanded to more locations to reach more people who might be struggling with a problem with gambling.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission, in partnership with the Ohio Lottery Commission, received approval to enable VEP across all casinos and racinos properties throughout the state expanding access to more Ohioans in need.
Ohio’s VEP is a critical responsible gambling resource, as it gives people the ability to ban themselves from a casino or racino facility for one year, five years, or their lifetimes. This ensures that they won’t have access to the facilities for as long as they choose. They can opt-out of the program’s one- and five-year options at any time and opt-out of the lifetime ban after five years.
If you or someone you know are considering being a part of the Voluntary Exclusion Program in Ohio, you must:
- Agree to not enter an Ohio casino/racino facility.
- Allow your name to be included on a list of people excluded from all Ohio casino/racino facilities. However, your personal information will remain confidential.
- Acknowledge that Ohio casino/racino operators will not be allowed to market to you.
- Agree that an Ohio casino/racino operator will not cash a check or extend credit to you.
This new expansion is positive news for responsible gambling advocates, as studies have shown that VEPs are effective in helping individuals gamble less, spend less money gambling, and have a decreased need for formal treatment.
To enroll, you must complete a Request for Voluntary Exclusion form in the presence of a trained staff member at a casino or racino property. Alternative arrangements can be made by contacting the Ohio Casino Control Commission or the Ohio Lottery Commission. Once a staff member validates your request, you can no longer go into any Ohio casino or racino during the length of your self-imposed exclusion. For more information on how to enroll in the program, please visit the Ohio Casino Control Commission website.
For more resources and information on problem gambling, you can visit BeforeYouBet.org. There, you can take the two-minute quiz to see if you’re at-risk for problem gambling and find free resources for responsible gambling.
And remember that help is always available by calling the free Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or texting 4HOPE to 74174. If you are starting to have questions about your gambling habits or those of someone you care about, make the call today.