The FanDuel Sportsbook is shown at Boyd Gaming’s Valley Forge Casino in King of Prussia, Pa. Legalized sports betting begins today in Indiana. Provided photo
After many years of hiding in the shadows, sports gambling will take a step into the light of legitimacy today when Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb places a sports bet at noon at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino in Shelbyville.
After Holcomb places his bet, Ameristar Casino in East Chicago and Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg will also be able to take wagers today on most sports, with nine other casinos and three off-track betting locations expected to follow soon.
Close to home, Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City will open its FanDuel Sportsbook on Thursday at 10 a.m. with former Chicago Bears Hall of Fame football player Brian Urlacher placing the first ceremonial wager, and it will open its FanDuel operation at Belterra Casino Resort in the southeast corner of the state on Sept. 9, said David Strow, vice president of corporate communications for Boyd Gaming.
At Blue Chip, Boyd is using space that was formerly occupied by a restaurant — It’s Vegas Baby! — and it will contain five in-person betting windows, 13 self-service kiosks and many TVs and sports tickers, Strow said.
A sports bar and restaurant, which is directly adjacent to FanDuel, will allow visitors to watch their favorite game while enjoying a beverage or a bite to eat, Strow said.
“We’re very excited to introduce sports betting to Indiana,” said Strow, adding that the company has also opened locations in Mississippi and Pennsylvania following a Supreme Court decision last year to overturn a federal law that essentially banned sports betting in most states.
Some states were almost instantly ready to get sports gambling underway. Because it had been working on legislation for quite some time, Indiana will still be among the early adopters and the first among its neighbors, said state Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Brazil, an early proponent of sports wagering.
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