Casino Referendums Rejected in Three Indiana Counties

Voters in Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties largely rejected local referendums that would have allowed slot machines, table games and sports betting. On Election Day, the question was whether casino gaming would be permitted in the interior region.

The referendums stem from House Bill 1038, which Governor Mike Braun signed in March. The law was passed after Full House Resorts requested to move its gaming license from Rising Sun to a more profitable market in northeastern Indiana.

In Allen, about 60 percent of voters opposed the casino idea, and in DeKalb, about 65 percent did. In Steuben, nearly 60 percent of the vote was against a casino. Full House had wanted to close the Rising Star Casino and relocate north, but the appeal of that plan diminished as the bill moved through the legislature. The bill was amended to allow any U.S. casino to submit a bid. It also added a $150 million license fee and a minimum investment requirement of $500 million. Full House CEO Daniel Lee said Rising Star is making money and that the company will continue in the business for its shareholders.

Local supporting groups emerged, but major casino developers showed no interest and did not back the campaign. The opposition campaign, "Save Fort Wayne," argued that a casino would increase addiction, divorce, bankruptcy, mental health problems, child neglect, human trafficking and poverty.

Fort Wayne was seen as the most attractive market for a new casino. A study prepared for the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) projected that a casino in the state's second-largest city would create about 1,000 permanent jobs and generate $28.1 million in annual local tax revenue. An analysis by real estate services firm CBRE stated that food and beverage sales, hotel occupancy and property taxes could bring in an additional $13.1 million in local revenue each year. The number of casinos in Indiana will remain at 13. Through September, these facilities earned $1.84 billion in gross gaming revenue from slots and table games, and Indiana sportsbooks reported $402.6 million in revenue.