By Dan Carden, Times of Northwest Indiana
dan.carden@nwi.com
INDIANAPOLIS | A legislative panel recommended Tuesday that Gary's Lake Michigan casino be allowed to relocate onto land. The General Assembly's Gaming Study Committee said such a move supports "the state's interest in the continuing viability of the gaming industry in Gary."
The Majestic Star Casino in Gary declared bankruptcy two weeks ago.
The committee said consolidating the two Majestic Star boats and gaming licenses into a single license at a land-based location within Gary would best serve the city and Indiana. The remaining license would be returned to the Indiana Gaming Commission.
State Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, said she plans to introduce legislation in January to permit the move from the lake to land.
Gary Mayor Rudy Clay, who attended the Statehouse hearing, said he was satisfied by the committee's actions.
"That's the top priority for the city to have a land-based casino located in Gary," Clay said.
The Gaming Study Committee estimated a land-based Gary casino could generate an additional $11 million in wagering tax revenue annually.
The committee's findings also found that actions are needed to help protect the state's casino industry from competition from neighboring states.
Republican Sen. Luke Kenley of Noblesville says the findings were not recommendations, but rather conclusions reached after several gambling topics were studied over the past several weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report