INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (WOWO) Fort Wayne Casino Proposal Sparks Broad Debate at the Indiana Statehouse
A proposal to bring a casino to Fort Wayne dominated discussion at the Indiana Statehouse as lawmakers opened debate on multiple competing gambling bills. While House Bill 1038 would add a fourteenth casino license and open a statewide bidding process, legislators and stakeholders are also weighing whether to relocate an existing license instead of expanding the industry.
House Public Policy Chair Ethan Manning acknowledged that at least four or five casino proposals are moving this session, calling this week’s hearing only the beginning of a broader conversation. Some lawmakers and industry representatives argue that transferring a license from southern Indiana—particularly from the struggling Rising Star Casino in Ohio County—would avoid creating instability in the gambling market according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle…