On New Year’s Day, Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson, Indiana and Indiana Grand Casino in Shelbyville became the first to offer live table-game dealers instead of electronic games. Indiana Grand installed 43 new table games and Harrah’s Hoosier Park installed more than 20. The two casinos, both owned by Caesars Entertainment, hired a total of 220 dealers and officials at both said they plan to add more in the near future.
Harrah’s Vice President of Operations Todd Berendji said, “They looked like it, they felt like it, we even had live dealers that couldn’t touch anything other than putting cash in and TITO’s out and high-fiving people when they had a blackjack, but now this is it. It’s the real deal, the real chips, the real cards—everything. We think people will come from all over the state, where they might not have come before for table games. It’s definitely a draw for other people.”
Meanwhile, sports betting is going strong at Indiana casinos. Since Governor Eric Holcomb placed the state’s first bet on September 1–$10 on the Indianapolis Colts to win the Super Bowl, even though the team didn’t make the NFL playoffs—patrons have wagered more than $273 million through November at casino sportsbooks or online. In November, bettors wagered $147.3 million on professional and college sports, generating $883,361 in tax revenue for the state, according to Indiana Gaming Commission data.
The numbers forecast an estimated $1.8 billion in sports bets on an annual basis—and that’s expected to continue to increase ahead of the February 2 Super Bowl, since Indiana’s neighboring states do not offer sports betting. Illinois lawmakers legalized sports wagering June 28 but there’s still no start date for it.
Holcomb noted, “It looks to me, by the numbers and hearing from both industry and participants–people who bet on a more regular basis than I do because the last time I did was the first day you could—people are appreciating where we are right now.”
The new law also authorized a land-based casino in Gary and relocated Gary’s second casino owner’s license to Terre Haute. “We’re growing right now. We took some big steps here this last session. A lot of progress made in terms of not just that convenience, but in terms of potential and realized economic development that’s occurring in those areas,” Holcomb noted.
Construction has begun on Spectacle Entertainment’s $300 million, 225,000-square-foot casino that will replace its Majestic Star casino boats on Lake Michigan. Scheduled to open December 31 this year, the new Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana will feature a sportsbook, Hard Rock Cafe, 2,000-seat Hard Rock Live performance venue and a variety of restaurants and bars in the first phase, followed by a 10-story hotel and parking garage.
Holcomb stated he expects the state soon will finalize a gaming compact with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. If it’s approved by the legislature, the tribe will be able to offer regular slot machines, table games and sports wagering instead of just slot-like bingo games. “We’re working on it right now in good faith. We’re making progress. I suspect sometime in the first quarter of this year we’ll be there,” Holcomb said.
During the 2019 session, Indiana lawmakers legalized sports wagering at casinos and on mobile devices, authorized the relocation of Gary’s Majestic Star casinos to a land-based site, established a new casino license for Terre Haute, speeded up allowing live dealers at Caesar’s two Indianapolis-area racinos and adjusted some casino tax rates. However, during the 10-week legislative session that just started, Caesars Entertainment Regional President and Hammond’s Horseshoe Casino General Manager Dan Nita said, “I don’t anticipate a big ask. We will probably sit tight and see what happens competitively in the adjoining states.”
State Senator Ron Alting, chairman of the Senate Public Policy Committee, said, “I have not heard of any gaming bills. I’ve had no one approach me as chairman, which usually they do. So I’m assuming we’re not going to hear any gaming bills.” State Rep. Ben Smaltz, chairman of the House Public Policy Committee, added no state representatives have come to him with gaming proposals. He said legislative study committees did not review any preliminary gaming measures over the summer. “I think this year it’s really going to be a wait-and-see on what legislation is submitted. I’m not anticipating anything. It’s wise after a very big lift on anything that there’s time for the dust to settle and the practical impacts to make themselves clear. There’s not enough data to really tell yet,” Smaltz said.
