- Indiana laws to allow a on line casino within the Fort Wayne area is making progress
- State lawmakers are seemingly on board with permitting a present on line casino to maneuver northeast
Laws in Indiana to permit Full Home Resorts in Rising Solar or some other on line casino to relocate its state-issued gaming license to the Fort Wayne area has cleared its first main hurdle.
A “Welcome to Fort Wayne” streetlight banner is seen in downtown Fort Wayne on Jan. 2, 2025. Indiana laws to permit a on line casino in Fort Wayne or someplace close to town is advancing within the Common Meeting. (Picture: Go to Fort Wayne)
On Monday, the Indiana Home of Representatives voted 67-30 in favor of Home Invoice 1038. Launched by Indiana Rep. Chad Snow (R-Warsaw), the statute would permit a at present licensed on line casino operator to assemble and open a on line casino someplace within the counties of Allen, DeKalb, or Steuben. Wayne County would additionally qualify for consideration.
The unique textual content of HB1038 reserved the relocation for Full Home by studying that solely a “licensed proprietor or allow holder could apply to the Gaming Fee to relocate the Ohio County riverboat license to an inland on line casino in Allen County, DeKalb County, Steuben County, or Wayne County.”
The invoice was amended through the Home proceedings to permit any of the 13 casinos to bid on the Fort Wayne alternative. The successful bidder might want to make investments no less than $500 million within the new on line casino and pay a one-time charge of $50 million to the state and $30 million to Ohio County.
Earlier than a successful bidder might suggest a growth to the Indiana Gaming Fee, the county’s authorities would wish to endorse the challenge. Every county is moreover free to carry an area referendum to gauge assist for gaming.
Solar Units on Rising Star?
Whereas the whole state gaming trade has been welcomed into HB1038, Full Home Resorts has been lobbying to relocate.
Rising Solar is now not the enticing gaming market that it was when the riverboat on line casino opened because the Grand Victoria in 1996. Since then, industrial casinos have come to Ohio, with Onerous Rock working a on line casino in close by Cincinnati. In 2021, Kentucky legalized slot-like historic horse racing (HHR) machines at parimutuel amenities.
Full Home’s Rising Star paid solely $1.3 million in state admission (supplemental) taxes final yr, by far the bottom of the 13 industrial casinos working in Indiana. Onerous Rock On line casino Northern Indiana paid $60.9 million.
A research commissioned by the Indiana Gaming Fee decided that, apart from downtown Indianapolis, the Fort Wayne area is essentially the most underserved gaming market.
Full Home is able to fold on Rising Solar. That was made evident by the truth that Rising Star didn’t problem a single greenback in free play final yr. By comparability, Onerous Rock Northern Indiana handed out $11.5 million in complimentary credit.
Full Home will nearly definitely wager on the Fort Wayne on line casino, ought to the Senate additionally cross the invoice and Gov. Mike Braun (R) signal the measure.
Senate Odds
The Indiana Senate is predicted to observe the Home in endorsing HB1038.
There continues to be assist for the choice of transferring a on line casino northeast,” mentioned Senate President Professional Tempore Rodric Bray (R-Morgan). “The research clearly exhibits that it could be worthwhile. I look optimistically on the invoice.”
Indiana on line casino income for the 12 months ending June 30, 2025, totaled $2.46 billion, a 2.2% enhance from the prior yr.
