Caesars Entertainment is planning to invest $30 million to expand and renovate Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.
The project will add 26,000 square feet of gaming space including a live poker room to the Shelbyville casino.
Mike Rich, senior vice president and general manager of Indiana Grand, said the racino has seen strong interest in live dealer table games, which has prompted the expansion.
Prior to Jan. 1, the state’s two horse track racing casinos were only allowed to have computer dealers, as opposed to live dealer table games.
“This live poker room will be the only live poker room in the metropolitan Indianapolis area,” Rich said. “We’re excited. It continues to expand our footprint.”
The additional gaming space will also include more slot machines and other table games, but exact details are still being finalized, Rich said.
Currently, Indiana Grand has about 100,000 square feet of gaming space.
Rich said construction will likely start in the first quarter of next year and be finished by the end of 2021 or early 2022.
The project also includes some renovations to back-of-house areas and possibly other amenities, but specifics are still being worked out, Rich said.
Caesars, which was acquired by Eldorado Resorts earlier this year, owns and operates Indiana Grand. The merged company operates under the Caesars name.
Rich said the expansion had been in the works before the acquisition by Eldorado, and the new company decided it was worth pursuing.