Indiana Voters Say “No” to Casinos in Three Counties

Indiana had three chances to legalize a casino in its northeast region. All three failed.

A new gaming facility won’t be added to the state’s existing collection after voters in Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties rejected a ballot referendum. This was in response to the question, “Shall inland casino gambling be permitted in (your) county?”

The Indiana Gaming Commission previously estimated that a casino could create hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Indiana votes “No” to more casinos

Indiana legislators approved House Bill 1038 in February, paving the way for a casino license to be created in any of the three counties. The law required voters to approve a casino in a referendum on election day. 

The creation of the casino license did not guarantee that a certain developer would be awarded the project. Additionally, had multiple counties approved a casino, only one would be eligible to build a facility.

Those are moot points after Tuesday’s results.

Local legislators and political hopefuls spoke both in favor and against the legislation.  Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker said that the potential revenue gain was critically important for the area, since Senate Enrolled Act 1 decreased the amount of tax revenue that local governments received.

According to The Journal Gazette, nearly 65% of DeKalb County voters opposed the casino, based on unofficial results. More than 58% of votes in Steuben County were also against a gaming facility. Another near-60% of Allen County voters said “No” to a gaming den.

Allen County in particular was a strong rebuke. The more than 61,000 “No” votes were roughly 8.3 times more than the county's votes in DeKalb County and 9.8 times more than the Steuben County votes.

Hit or miss?

Had a casino been legalized, a developer would’ve needed to be selected and approved.

Operators would’ve been required to invest at least $500 million into their casino, which would be outfitted live-dealer table games, slot machines, blackjack, and other amenities. They would’ve also been responsible for building a hotel and at least one restaurant.

At least 60% of the $500 million would've needed to be spent within the first two years of the operator’s license’s issuance.

Furthermore, casino companies would’ve been required to pay at least $150 million in five $30 million payments to the state.

A pro-casino campaign in Allen County cited an economic study by CBRE Group, Inc., in saying that the area stood to gain 2,000 permanent jobs and 5,500 construction jobs.

Coalition for a Better Indiana, a nonprofit formed in opposition to the ongoing casino efforts, warned voters of what awaited if they voted “Yes.”

“We certainly don’t want to bring in a corrupt organization and depend on them for economic development,” Cathie Humbarger of Coalition for a Better Allen County said in an interview with 21Alive News last November. “Additionally, we do have a responsibility for those who have a tendency or a predilection to gaming addiction.”