After the Indiana House and Senate reached an agreement on a bill to possibly bring a casino to the Fort Wayne area, Gov. Mike Braun (R) signed the bill into law on Tuesday.
An earlier version of the bill didn’t include a referendum on the issue for local voters, but the final bill did. Braun said that addition was key to winning his approval.
Sen. Justin Busch (R-Fort Wayne) sponsored the bill. It establishes a competitive bidding process for the property, overseen by the Indiana Gaming Commission. He was pleased to see the bill cross the finish line.
“This legislation gives our region the opportunity for a half-billion-dollar resort-style development that would mean more jobs, new tourism, and major investment in northeast Indiana,” he said. “Through (HB1038), we’ve built a strong, transparent process that protects taxpayers while positioning our community for generational economic growth.”
Operator Must Spend At Least $500 Million
Fort Wayne is located in the northeast section of the state, and the area has a metro area population of just over 450,000. It is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the Midwest.
The bill requires the winning company to spend at least $500 million on the casino and other non-gaming amenities. However, voters must first approve plans for a casino in a November referendum.
The referendum will ask the question: “Shall inland casino gambling be permitted in [insert county name]?”
Fort Wayne is comprised of three counties – Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben. Before the state can greenlight a proposal, voters must approve the referendum. Then, the Indiana Gaming Commission can approve a bidder.
A potential Fort Wayne property would be the state’s 14th casino. While a plan for a northeastern casino was approved, the legislature seems to have scrapped plans for a potential casino in Indianapolis. The state is also considering a sweepstakes casino ban that would create an exemption for online poker.
