OHIO VALLEY — With the third round of payouts from the Ohio Casino Tax Revenue scheduled for Jan. 31, the numbers recently released by the state reveal an increase in money to the counties.

Payouts reflect the revenue generated by the three operational casinos from October to December of 2012.

Both Gallia and Meigs counties will receive nearly as much in the first payout of 2013 as they did total in 2012.

Gallia County is set to receive $71,712.79 according to the report published on Jan. 8. Gallia had received $27,033.93 in July and $53,957.54 in October for a total of $80,991.47 in 2012.

Meigs County will receive $54,832.38 on Jan. 31. Last year, the county brought in $61,926.96 from the casino tax revenue payments, $20,670.44 in July and $41,256.52 in October.

Cuyahoga and Franklin counties continue to bring in the largest amounts according the report. Cuyahoga County will receive $1,470,718.82 and Franklin County will receive $1,364,78.90.

Payment amounts are based on population of the county. According to census figures on the Ohio Department of Taxation website Gallia County has a population of 30,970 and Meigs County has a population of 23,680. In contrast, Cuyahoga County has a population of 1,270,294. The numbers are based on a 2011 United States Census report.

The the present time payments are based on three casinos. It will be based on four casinos once the fourth one opens later this year.

Casinos in both Cleveland and Toledo opened in May 2012, while the third casino opened in October in Columbus. The fourth casino to be in Cincinnati will open in the spring of 2013.

Payments will also be made to school districts in Ohio on a semi-annual basis beginning on Jan. 31. The second payment will be on July 31. Payments were not made to school districts in 2012. An article on the payments being made to the local school districts will appear in the Sunday Times-Sentinel.

Collected revenues accumulate in the Ohio Casino Tax Revenue Fund are placed into seven different funds. Fifty-one percent goes into the Gross Casino Revenue County Fund; thirty-four percent into the Gross Casino Revenue County Student Fund; five-percent into the Gross Casino Revenue Host City Fund; three-percent into the Casino Control Commission Fund; three-percent into the Ohio State Racing Commission Fund; two-percent into the Law Enforcement Training Fund; and two-percent into the Problem Casino Gambling and Addictions Fund.

The Casino Tax Revenue is a result of the constitutional amendment passed in 2009 which allowed for the four casinos to be placed in Ohio.

According to the Ohio Department of Taxation website, the Ohio Casino Control Commission is responsible for licensing and regulating casino operators, their employees, and gaming-related vendors. The Ohio Department of Taxation is responsible for administering the gross casino revenue tax and for ensuring compliance with all pertinent state tax laws, as well as administrative rules and policies as they apply to other taxes administered by the Department of Taxation.

The gross casino revenue tax is imposed on licensed casino operators at the rate of 33 percent. “Gross casino revenue” is the total amount of money exchanged for tokens, chips, and tickets at a casino facility, less any winnings paid out to wagerers.

The operators of each casino facility are required to file daily returns with the Department and to remit payments for the related tax liabilities every day that banks are open for business. Each return reflects casino gaming activity over a 24-hour period.

The tax revenue collected from the gross casino revenue tax is split among seven funds benefiting the counties and certain large cities, school districts, host cities, the Casino Control Commission, the Ohio State Racing Commission, law enforcement training, and problem gambling and addictions. Distributions to localities occur on a quarterly basis, except for school districts, which will receive their distributions semi-annually beginning this month.