Charlie Brown of Gary introduced an expanded bill authorizing riverboat casinos on the Ohio River and a casino in the resort area of French Lick and West Baden Springs, to attract broader support.

Gaming companies from Nevada and Atlantic City flocked to join in lobbying efforts to support a second attempt in the 1990 legislative session, but it was blocked by Senate Republican leaders. The city began talks to acquire 350 acres of land at the Gary Works for as many as five casinos. The Indiana General Assembly rejected a Gary casino bill in 1989, but did assent to a non-binding referendum, which city voters approved by 60 percent. Within months of the amendment's passage, Gary mayor Thomas Barnes proposed opening up the economically depressed city to high-rise resort casinos. Hoosier Park became a racino on 2008 and Indiana Downs did the same in 2009.Ĭasinos Legalization efforts Ĭritics of lottery legalization said the measure would lead to casino gambling, while legislators said there would be little support for casinos. Indiana Downs (now Horseshoe Indianapolis) opened in Shelbyville in 2002. Harrah's Hoosier Park opened in Anderson in 1994, and off-track betting parlors opened in the state in 1995. Pari-mutuel betting was legalized in 1989. Other draw games include Hoosier Lotto, Cash 5, and Poker Lotto. It joined Mega Millions in 2010 and Cash4Life in 2016. It is a member of the Multi-State Lottery Association since 1990. The Hoosier Lottery sells scratch-off tickets since October 1989. In 1988, state voters approved a constitutional amendment lifting the lottery ban, establishing the Hoosier Lottery. The Indiana Constitution of 1851 included a ban on lotteries, which was broadly construed by courts as a prohibition on gambling in general. Other forms of legal gambling are the Hoosier Lottery, parimutuel wagering on horse races, and sports betting. In addition, there is one Indian casino in the state. Indiana law authorizes ten land-based or riverboat casinos on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River, one land-based casino in French Lick, and racinos at the state's two horse tracks. Class=notpageimage| Locations of casinos in Indiana

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