INDIANAPOLIS | The Don Barden riverboat shuffle took another turn Monday, but the dance is far from done.
Barden is considering plans to consolidate his two Majestic Star casinos into one Buffington Harbor megaboat.
Such a facility, perhaps rivaling Horseshoe's $485 million Hammond expansion, could host as much gaming as Barden's two current boats. The move would free up a gambling license that he could use to build a casino in another location or put on the auction block.
"Barden has expressed interest in moving one of the boats," said state Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary. "He's talked about moving it inside Gary, and he's also expressed an interest in moving it outside Gary."
A move outside the city would take a change in state law, and a legislative effort to do so has yet to emerge. State law does not prohibit a move inside Gary, and Barden has discussed the concept with city officials.
"I think they were looking at the Little Calumet River as a body of water close to (Interstate) 94," Rogers said.
Rogers helped preserve that prospect Monday by adding an amendment to House Bill 1835. The legislation, which would legalize slot machines at two downstate horse racing tracks, included a provision aimed at anchoring southern Indiana riverboat casinos to their current locations.
Rogers' amendment, easily approved by a voice vote, would keep state law as it is for Northwest Indiana casinos. That means Barden could petition city officials and state regulators for a move within Gary, even if HB 1835 becomes law.
If Barden wants to move a boat outside Gary, he must persuade legislators to act before they adjourn next month.
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