The Indiana Gaming Commission recently approved granting Spectacle Entertainment a gambling license for Vigo County, where the company will develop a $125 million casino in Terre Haute. The vote originally was set to take place in February but was delayed due to a federal investigation into illegal campaign contributions associated with an Indianapolis-based Centaur Gaming.
Commission Deputy Director Jennifer Reske said the license was granted only after Spectacle executives Rod Ratcliff and John Keeler gave up their ownership stake in a Spectacle subsidiary formed for the Terre Haute casino.
Ratcliff and Keeler were top officials at Centaur Gaming; they formed Spectacle after selling Centaur’s two racinos in Anderson and Shelbyville to Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment in 2018 for $1.7 billion.
Federal officials said Centaur was involved in a scheme directing more than $15,000 in illegal corporate contributions to an unsuccessful Indiana congressional candidate. No charges have been filed against the company or its executives.
Spectacle was the only applicant for the Vigo County gaming license. A voter referendum must be held to advance the casino, plus approval from the governor.
