- Indianapolis was cut from consideration in House Bill 1038 to protect existing casinos supporting the horse racing industry.
- Four counties in northeast and east-central Indiana can compete for the license, with a decision due by April 2027.
- The winning operator must invest $500 million and pay a $50 million relocation fee.
INDIANAPOLIS – A new blackjack casino won't be coming to the capital anytime soon. The Indiana House approved House Bill 1038 last Monday by a 67–30 margin, outlining how the Rising Star Casino license will be relocated to a new location. Indianapolis didn't make the cut when state officials finalized which counties could pursue the Indiana blackjack license, shutting the door on any chances of bringing a gaming venue to the downtown area.
The bill will next be forwarded to the Senate, where senators must pass it by the end of February for it to become law. Rodric Bray, the president of the Senate, told reporters that he is optimistic about the situation and that there is a lot of support for the notion of a casino in northeast Indiana.
Why Indianapolis Didn't Make the Cut
According to a market analysis done last September, Indianapolis would be the most lucrative place to move a casino, with estimates of around $500 million in gambling profits and $170 million in state tax revenue annually.
State officials concluded that a new casino in the capital would have a major impact on two existing properties - Harrah's Hoosier Park in Anderson and Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville—despite bipartisan support from lawmakers like Democratic Senator Greg Taylor and Republican Senator Aaron Freeman.
Bringing legal blackjack and other table games to downtown Indianapolis would have been a significant change from the existing situation, where players must go to Shelbyville or Anderson, for bettors interested in these games. Since both of the current sites run horse racing tracks that help the Indiana racing industry, lawmakers are hesitant to approve the possible revenue rivalry.
Read more: Blackjack in Indianapolis Possible With New Casino Bill
Fort Wayne offers an alternative. With competition mostly coming from out-of-state casinos in Ohio and Michigan rather than from already-existing Indiana enterprises, the region provides mostly unrealized market potential. The choice to concentrate on northeast Indiana instead was greatly influenced by this aspect.
House Bill 1038 opens up the competition to four different counties: Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben in the Fort Wayne area, along with Wayne County located in east-central Indiana. All 13 operators holding casino licenses in Indiana can submit bids for the relocation, not exclusively Full House Resorts who currently runs Rising Star.