Indiana Senate Barely Approves Bill to Create 14th Casino License

The Indiana Senate on Tuesday agreed to approve a House Bill that would add a casino to the state’s northeast region.

House Bill 1038, which has already received several amendments, barely passed its vote, 26-22. The bill allows for Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben counties to apply to receive the right to host the new casino, which must be worth at least $500 million across its facility and amenities.

There are two possibilities for the final bill, if it is approved. Either the struggling Rising Star Casino Resort in Rising Sun will close its doors, or the state will authorize a 14th gaming license and leave Rising Star intact.

Indiana could add another casino

Local support in northeast Indiana has been hit or miss. Several government officials and businesspeople supported the push to bring a casino to the region, while residents argued against it.

Sen. Tyler Johnson (R-Leo) referenced a crowd of casino critics he met at a town hall meeting last year when discussing the possibility of bringing a facility to the area.

“We took it out because I think we knew what the results of that would be,” he said.

Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne) said that approving the bill effectively removed the voice of residents in the approved counties.

“We’ve heard talk, ‘Well, there might be too much opposition on the other side and it would fail,’” she said. “Oh, my goodness. What a horrible idea that the people don’t get to decide.”

Controversially, the requirement of a referendum in Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben, was removed from the casino bill. All previous paths to casino approval in Indiana included a referendum to allow local residents to cast their opinions.

One of two avenues

The onus in determining if the state will add another gaming license is on the House. 

Earlier this month, Representatives approved a different version of the bill that would relocate the casino license to the northeast. However, the version that just cleared the Senate would leave the Rising Star where it is and create a new operator’s license.

Full House Resorts owns and operates the Rising Star Casino, which is surrounded by two nearby riverboat casinos. It regularly produces the least tax revenue of any of the state’s casinos, totaling just $1.1 million during the first half of FY 2025-26, less than 0.5 percent of the total produced by the state’s 13 locations.

Whether or not Full House loses its casino because of the bill, it also would not receive a headstart in the application process for the new facility. Lawmakers insisted that prospective operators would not receive a headstart of any kind in the application process.

If the Senate-approved version of the bill ultimately takes effect, Indiana’s next licensee would need to pay a one-time $150 million fee. That’s three times the $50 million suggested by the House for relocating the Rising Sun license.

Indiana’s approved casinos are eligible to offer live-dealer table games, slot machines, blackjack, and more common casino attractions.