Indiana no longer holds all the cards

Niki Kelly, The Journal Gazette

nkelly@jg.net

INDIANAPOLIS - Sixteen years ago, Indiana ventured into casino gambling for the first time, banking on the idea that riverboats in border communities would spur economic development and fill tax coffers. But now, surrounding states are catching up.

Ohio will have horse tracks with video slots next year, and Michigan is adding tribal casinos. It's a threat to the nearly $1.1 billion a year in tax revenue the state reaps, and has grown to depend on, from legalized gambling.

 "In some respects we are playing defense, much more than we ever have," said Mike Smith, president of the Casino Association of Indiana. "The state could wake up one day and find out that $300 million of their revenue is gone. It's time to take a look at how we built this industry and make sure the tools are there to allow us to compete."