Northeast Indiana and Indianapolis named in research as greatest locations to place a on line casino

INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) After a failed try in 2024 to relocate the Rising Star Casino in southern Indiana to Allen County, the Indiana Gaming Commission employed a agency to find out the very best locations within the state to relocate an present on line casino. The outcomes of that research have been launched on Wednesday.

Based on a mess of standards and knowledge, Spectrum Gaming Group recognized and chosen 4 zip code areas within the state with the “highest unmet gaming-revenue potential.” The projected Annual Gaming Revenue, or AGR, was the important thing think about figuring out potential areas.

The two areas with the very best AGR potential have been decided to be downtown Indianapolis and an space north of Fort Wayne within the neighborhood of State Road 8 and I-69 in DeKalb County. Spectrum Gaming Group referred to those areas as “proxy points,” and famous that they aren’t supposed to be particular on line casino areas.

The downtown Indianapolis proxy level is the Indiana Statehouse. It was chosen partially due to its proximity to the conference heart and sports activities stadiums. Likewise, the northeast proxy level the place State Road 8 and I-69 in Auburn meet was chosen for ease of entry from Fort Wayne, proximity to the Toll Road and the potential to draw guests from Michigan regardless of there being tribal casinos a brief distance from the border with Indiana.

The following map exhibits on line casino areas in and close to Indiana:

Indiana residents have entry to 32 casinos, of which 14 are in-state and 18 close to the borders of Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky.

One main issue within the research has to do with Tribal Gaming Exclusivity, a 16-county space proven within the map under, the place an settlement stipulates that no additional on line casino growth can happen.

Spectrum recognized zip code clusters throughout the state with the very best unmet on line casino income demand. The 4 areas recognized are marked with blue dots within the map proven under.

The research discovered that if a on line casino was relocated to Indianapolis or northeast Indiana, it might probably generate “significantly higher adjusted gaming revenue and corresponding State receipts than are being generated with the 13 licenses in their current locations.”

The research additionally seemed into how a relocated on line casino would impression guests from neighboring states, tourism and the way it might impression horse racing betting in Indiana.

Another potential think about relocating an present on line casino to northeast Indiana has to do with a 45-acre web site that might be used for a on line casino by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma which acquired the land in 2021. The tribe has gone on file as famous within the research that the property wouldn’t be used for playing.

Spectrum Gaming Group is described within the report as, “a non-partisan consultancy founded in
1993 that specializes in the economics, regulation and policy of legalized gambling worldwide. Our principals have backgrounds in operations, economic analysis, law enforcement, regulation, research and journalism.”

Lawmakers are anticipated to assist decide if a on line casino needs to be relocated and if that’s the case, the place. WANE 15 is working to get response from legislators.