indiana

Lawmakers in Indiana have been taking a closer look at the state’s current casino regulations. This week, voters in the state will decide on whether or not to allow a new casino in Terre Haute. Gambling fans here maintain that a casino will help to generate more revenue for the state and bring additional jobs to Terre Haute.

Terre Haute Indiana City Hall

It’s an exciting time in the state. Voters here are also deciding on who will fill dozens of mayoral offices throughout Indiana. Let’s look at everything that’s going on here.

Indiana Has Been Looking at Casino Expansion for Months

Officials in Indiana have been interested in opening new casinos for almost all of 2019. Back in February, lawmakers here first approved a bill to expand the state’s gambling industry. Senate Bill 552 quickly moved through the state’s legislative process with support from many residents and politicians.

Under this bill, a casino license can be granted in Terre Haute. Several companies have already expressed interest in opening a gambling venue here. Before this can happen, however, voters here will need to officially approve these plans.

Vigo County voters will decide whether or not to allow construction on a new casino in Terre Haute. If approved, this will become the 14th casino to open in the state of Indiana.

As we’ve already mentioned, two companies have expressed an interest in opening a casino here. Both companies are pledging to invest millions of dollars into this area.

It seems likely that these plans will be approved.

Pros and Cons of a New Casino in Terre Haute

A huge number of individuals have been actively promoting this new casino. Even state officials have been praising the benefits that this gambling will offer. Duke Bennett, mayor of Terre Haute, has been fighting hard for this casino to get approved.

“It’s always been about the economic development opportunity for me,” he said. “I did all I could to help bring that opportunity to the community… One of the most important parts of [the legislation] for me was the referendum language. We fought to keep that in there because I’ve felt it extremely important that the people of Vigo County decide whether they wanted a casino or not.”

According to Bennet, this new casino will help to bring more revenue to the state, add more jobs in Terre Haute, and bring in more tourism.

“When you look at the economic impact of not only the construction but also the jobs it will create and the revenue it will create for the city, we’re talking about near $10 million,” Bennett said.

Of course, some residents here are concerned about the negative impact that a casino could have. Some believe it will lead to a rise in crime and gambling addiction.

We’ll need to wait and see how Vigo County voters decide on the new casino in Terre Haute.

Online Casino Gambling is Growing More Popular in Indiana

Indiana is home to many fantastic land-based gambling venues. Soon, even more of these establishments could open up. Unsurprisingly, more and more individuals here choosing to make their bets online.

There are a huge number of fantastic online casinos in IN right now. Most of them offer even more gambling options than the top land-based casino venues in the country. You can find many different table games and slots available online right now.

Most of these sites are extremely safe, as well. Word spreads fast in the online gambling market. Any sites caught doing anything shady are quickly blacklisted.

Online casinos remain unregulated in Indiana. Many believe that in time, the state government will begin to regulate and tax these sites. Doing so would likely earn the government millions in additional revenue every single month.

Very soon, we’ll know whether or not the new casino in Terre Haute will be approved. Stay tuned for more updates this week!

Washington DC

The capital of the USA will soon make it possible to bet on the Capitals and the Nationals, and the Redskins and the Wizards as well. As a matter of fact, sports betting is likely to be completely legalized in this state by September 1.

They are currently having trouble sorting out who the sports betting provider would be, as Intralot—the provider initially selected—is already the lottery provider for this state. The regular voting process was bypassed, and Intralot was awarded a license that is now under a 60-day review.

Iowa

A bill to legalize sports betting was introduced recently in Iowa, and it seems that the residents of this state will have an opportunity to place bets on sports very soon as the bill has been gaining a lot of momentum.

A total of 19 casinos, as well as some other gambling-related facilities such as horse tracks, would be able to open sportsbooks sections. They will be able to create online apps, but people who want to bet on sports would have to be physically present at the betting site to register for an app and place bets via their mobile devices.

Indiana

Indiana is very close to legalizing sports betting as Senate Bill 522 has passed through the first Senate committee. This bill is filled with various changes that are related to the gaming laws that exist in this state. Apart from allowing sports betting activities in Indiana, this bill also proposes the construction of two casinos and relocating the existing ones. The bill was created as a response to declining revenues in the gambling industry in this state. In other words, the officials of Indiana want to improve gaming in their state as they fear people might lose interest over time.

Kentucky

The state of Kentucky has proposed a betting bill that will not only allow sports betting, but also pave the way for online poker and even fantasy sports. The racetracks in Kentucky that want to obtain sports betting fees would have to pay $500,000 to obtain a license and then pay a $50,000 annual renewal. The bill allows using apps for betting, but only if you are on site. According to some estimates, sports betting would bring up to $48 million annually for the budget of this state.

Minnesota

Minnesota is still in the process of consideration when it comes to a sports betting bill. They have an act called the Safe and Regulated Sports Gambling Act of 2019, and its one goal is to establish the so-called “sports pools.”

Just like in Mississippi, this bill would allow sports betting at 18 tribal casinos. However, the 11 federally recognized tribes must play their part, which means that the success of this deal depends heavily on them. If they reach an agreement, there will be plenty of room to explore all the possible option and eventually introduce sports betting to Minnesota.

Voters Scheduled to Decide on New Casino in Terre Haute