Indiana Senate Bill Could Relocate Casinos Inland

A Senate Committee in Indiana is discussing a proposition that would relocate casinos on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River inland. The proposal has not yet been voted on, but that is expected to happen in the next week.

The idea behind the Bill, which is sponsored by Senator Ron Alting, is that the casinos would be more profitable if they were allowed to move on land. There is a mixed reaction among lawmakers as to whether or not that would make a difference.

The proposal is directly related to the new casinos that are going to be built in Ohio. When Ohio voters approved four casinos last November, lawmakers in Indiana knew that casinos in their state could be in for a financial windfall from the expansion in Ohio.

Most notably, the casinos being built in Toledo and Cincinnati would hurt several Indiana casinos. Although the plan is being proposed to help the casinos, there are some casinos in Indiana that would prefer a delay of one year before any changes are made to the current laws.

Ohio voters have turned away the notion of casino gambling several times before, but the plan approved in November was developed with the intent on bringing thousands of jobs to the state. In addition, millions of dollars in tax revenue would help balance the state budget.

In Indiana, the Ohio casinos could have an opposite effect. The addition of Ohio casinos could mean millions of lost revenue for Indiana casinos, and consequently, the state. It is still unknown if the new proposal to allow riverboat casinos to move to land will be able to clear both the Senate and the House should it make it out of the committee next week.

January 22, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
Submit News!

Casino Table Games Bill Approved By Delaware House
Gambling Bill Fails In Kentucky, Expansion May Be Close
Lawmakers Moving Forward With Columbus Casino Relocation Plan
Gambling Bill In Alabama Heads To House After Committee Approval
Gambling Raid In Michigan Nets Topless Dealers, Hostesses