If you’re driving down Northfield Road looking for the bright green "J" of Jack Casino Northfield Ohio, you’re going to be looking for a while. It’s gone. Well, the name is, anyway. People still call it "Jack" all the time, much like locals in Chicago still call the Willis Tower "Sears." It’s a habit. But if you want to actually find the place or understand why the vibe shifted, you have to talk about MGM.
The transition from Jack Casino Northfield Ohio to MGM Northfield Park wasn’t just a quick paint job. It was a massive corporate pivot that changed the gambling landscape in Northeast Ohio. Honestly, the history of this site is a bit of a rollercoaster. It started as a storied harness racing track, evolved into a "racino" under the Hard Rock brand, spent a brief stint as a Jack property, and eventually landed in the hands of the global giant, MGM Resorts International.
Why does this matter? Because the experience you get there today is fundamentally different from the Jack era.
The Identity Crisis of Northfield Park
Northfield Park is unique. It’s a "racino," which is a clunky industry term for a racetrack that also has slot machines (VLTs, technically). In Ohio, there is a legal distinction between a full-service casino—like the Jack Casino in downtown Cleveland—and a racino. At Northfield, you won't find live dealers slinging cards or rolling dice. If you walk in expecting a $15 blackjack table with a human being behind it, you’ll be disappointed. Everything is electronic.
When the property was known as Jack Casino Northfield Ohio, it was part of Dan Gilbert’s portfolio. Gilbert, the Cleveland Cavaliers owner, had a specific vision for Ohio gaming. It was local. It felt like Cleveland. But in 2018, Milstein Entertainment sold the land to MGM Growth Properties, and by 2019, the "Jack" branding was stripped away.
The shift was jarring for some. Jack had a very specific loyalty program. MGM brought in M life (now MGM Rewards). If you were a regular at the Northfield track, your world changed overnight. Suddenly, your play in Ohio could earn you a free room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. That’s the "MGM effect." It’s bigger, more corporate, and much more integrated into a global system.
What You’ll Actually Find Inside Today
Walking onto the floor today, the layout still feels familiar to those who frequented Jack Casino Northfield Ohio, but the polish is different. There are over 2,200 Video Lottery Terminals. These look and sound exactly like slot machines, but they are technically linked to the Ohio Lottery.
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- The Gaming Floor: It’s expansive. Seriously. It’s over 200,000 square feet of gaming space.
- The "High Limit" Area: This is where things get interesting. Even though it’s a racino, the high-limit room tries to mimic the luxury of the Vegas Strip.
- Electronic Table Games: Since they can't have live dealers, they’ve leaned heavily into electronic craps, roulette, and blackjack. Some people hate these. They miss the "human touch." Others love them because you can play at your own pace without a dealer staring you down for a tip.
The atmosphere is loud. It’s bright. It smells like a mix of floor wax and adrenaline. On a Friday night, the place is packed with people from Akron and Cleveland, creating this weirdly charming melting pot of Ohio culture.
The Racing Connection: More Than Just Machines
You can't talk about the legacy of Jack Casino Northfield Ohio without mentioning the "Flying Wheels." Harness racing is the soul of this property. While the casino side pays the bills, the track is what gives the place its character.
Northfield Park is one of the busiest harness tracks in the world. They host more than 200 nights of racing a year. If you’ve never seen harness racing, it’s different from the Kentucky Derby. The horses pull "sulkies" (two-wheeled carts) and must maintain a specific gait. If they break into a gallop, they have to pull back. It’s tactical. It’s fast. And honestly, it’s way more accessible for a casual bettor than the slots.
When the transition from Jack happened, many feared the racing side would be neglected. MGM, however, has kept the "Home of the Flying Wheels" slogan alive. There is something undeniably cool about sitting in the grandstand with a beer, watching the horses thunder past, while the neon lights of the casino glow in the background. It bridges the gap between old-school Ohio sports and modern entertainment.
Why the "Jack" Brand Left
Business is business. Dan Gilbert’s company, JACK Entertainment, decided to focus its resources on its flagship downtown Cleveland casino and its racing property in South Louisville. They sold the Northfield operations for roughly $1 billion.
That’s a staggering number for a property in a suburb of Cleveland. It shows just how profitable this specific location is. It sits right between two major population centers. It’s convenient. You don't have to deal with downtown traffic or parking garages. You just pull off Northfield Road and you're there.
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The rebranding wasn't just about the name. It was about data. MGM wanted access to the Northeast Ohio market to feed their larger ecosystem. Now, the people who used to be Jack Casino Northfield Ohio regulars are being marketed to for trips to Borgata in Atlantic City or MGM Grand in Detroit.
The Food Scene: A Major Shift
One area where the transition really showed was the dining. During the Jack era, the food was fine, but it felt a bit like an afterthought. MGM brought in a more standardized, high-quality approach, though some locals miss the old spots.
- Kosar’s Wood-Fired Grill: Named after Cleveland Browns legend Bernie Kosar. This is the "fancy" spot. If you’re winning, you get the ribeye.
- TAP Sports Bar: This is your classic massive-screen, loud-audio sports haven. It’s where the "MGM" branding is most obvious.
- The Buffet: Let’s be real. People go to casinos for the buffet. The Northfield buffet has gone through several iterations post-Jack, and while it’s decent, it’s no longer the dirt-cheap deal it was ten years ago.
The "Racino" Legal Loophole
People often ask why Jack Casino Northfield Ohio—and now MGM Northfield—doesn't have live poker or craps. It’s all about the Ohio Constitution. In 2009, Ohioans voted to allow four full-service casinos: one in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo.
Northfield wasn't one of them.
To get around this, the state allowed racetracks to install VLTs. These machines are regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission, not the Casino Control Commission. This legal "quirk" means that Northfield is technically a lottery outlet that happens to have a racetrack and 2,000 machines.
This leads to some confusion. You’ll see "Blackjack" machines, but they are essentially "scratch-off tickets" disguised as a card game. The math is different. The odds are determined by the lottery’s central system, not a deck of 52 cards in a shoe. If you're a serious gambler, this distinction is huge. If you're just there to have fun and burn twenty bucks, you probably won't notice.
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Tips for Visiting the "New" Northfield
If you're heading out there, don't look for the Jack logo. Look for the MGM lion.
- Parking is free: This is a huge win. Unlike downtown casinos where you often have to pay or get your ticket validated, Northfield has massive open lots.
- The Rewards Card: If you have an old Jack card, it’s useless. Get the MGM Rewards card immediately. Even if you don't gamble much, it gets you discounts on food.
- Check the Race Schedule: The best nights are when the track is live. The energy is three times higher.
- The Comedy Club: There’s a "Club Velvet" inside. It’s an underrated spot for live comedy in the Cleveland area.
Is it still worth the trip?
Look, the era of Jack Casino Northfield Ohio was a specific time in Ohio's gambling history. It felt local. It felt like "ours." MGM feels like a corporation. But with that corporate backing comes better maintenance, bigger concerts at the MGM Northfield Park Center Stage, and a more seamless experience.
The Center Stage is actually one of the best mid-sized venues in the state. They get acts like The Beach Boys, STYX, and major touring comedians. It’s intimate. There isn't a bad seat in the house. This is where MGM has really outclassed the old Jack era—they know how to book entertainment.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Visit
If you're planning to visit the property that used to be Jack Casino Northfield Ohio, keep these practical steps in mind to make the most of it:
- Download the MGM Rewards App before you arrive. It saves you time at the kiosk and often has "app-only" free play offers that you won't find on the floor.
- Don't ignore the live racing. Even if you aren't a "horse person," go out to the rail for one race. The sound of the hooves and the carts is incredible, and it costs nothing to watch.
- Time your visit. Saturday nights are a madhouse. If you want your choice of machines and a quiet dinner at Kosar's, Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons are the sweet spot.
- Watch the "VLT" vs. "Slot" difference. Remember that these are lottery games. The payout structures are fixed by the state, so don't expect the same "looseness" you might find in a Vegas strip casino.
- Check the concert lineup early. Shows at the Center Stage sell out fast because the venue is relatively small. If you see a name you like, buy the tickets immediately; don't wait until you're at the casino.
The transition from Jack to MGM is a done deal. The "Jack" era is a memory, but the property itself has never been more vibrant. Whether you're there for the history of the track or the flash of the VLTs, it remains the anchor of Northfield’s economy. Just remember: it's the lion, not the "J," you're looking for now.