Grayton Road Tavern's popular Queen of Hearts game will be allowed to resume following a review by the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
The game had come under much scrutiny this past winter after its jackpot rose to more than $5 million. A winner was finally chosen in March, and the game had been set to resume this week with a jackpot of roughly $550,000 (10 percent of the last winning share).
However, the game was halted after Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley asked Attorney General Mike DeWine to review the game's legality. The tavern immediately suspended ticket sales and refunded those who had already bought one.
On Friday, DeWine delivered his opinion to O'Malley, which ruled that the game is legal so long as it meets the following conditions:
- The operator must prepare and plan the game in a thoughtful, meticulous way
- All money collected from participants is distributed to winners by the game's final round
- The proprietor does not take a cut of the prize pool
DeWine added the following in his statement:
It is important to note that 'Queen of Hearts' games are not regulated by any state office, including the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Local law enforcement has authority to investigate any of these games or claims made by proprietors. Our opinion was based upon current law and the information provided by the prosecutor. I certainly understand concerns about games such as this with large prize pools but without any oversight to protect consumers. In light of the lack of protection for consumers, I would encourage the Ohio General Assembly to review these games.