Gambling legislation has continued to pop up across the United States with several individual states beginning to see the benefits of gaming or additional gaming options. In Indiana, a proposal for casino gaming is moving forward, with the governor set to review the bill and hopefully signing into law.
The current measure sent to the governor’s desk will allow the riverboat casinos of Indiana, all 11, to be able to offer land based gaming. The riverboat casinos will be able to allow gaming on land where docked to offer additional gaming hours and opportunity for players.
The governor of the states has not announced that he will or will not sign the measure. The governor was in opposition to table games being allowed at racinos which was part of the measure. However, it was decided by vote that this would not be included in the proposal.
If passed, many riverboats are considering adding casino gaming on land, even expanding their gaming if they will be able to offer the additional options. Casino developments in the state also offer state tax incentives which would help operators decide to move toward land development.
Now that the provision to add table gaming in live dealer form has been removed, the governor may be more likely to sign the measure. The governor is not in support of the idea and lawmakers still want to stay competitive in the market, especially when considering neighboring states. In Ohio and Illinois, gaming expansions are keeping Indiana on their toes, and the new proposal would help to bring in additional revenues.
The current industry is earning around $2.5 billion each year with much more to be made when you consider the new land based gaming proposal. Over the coming days, we should see if the governor will agree to sign or if the casinos will be available only on the water.
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