INDIANAPOLIS, IN (WTVB) – A controversial proposal to relocate a struggling southern Indiana casino license narrowly survived its first major fiscal hurdle on Tuesday.
The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee advanced House Bill 1038 by a slim 10-8 vote, following a hearing that was delayed by winter weather. The legislation seeks to move the license currently held by the Rising Star Casino in Ohio County along the Ohio River to a more lucrative market in northern or eastern Indiana, specifically targeting Allen, Steuben, DeKalb or Wayne counties.
As part of the advancement, the committee adopted an amendment to redirect 10% of local casino tax revenue to a regional redevelopment authority rather than solely to the host city or county…