By Dan Carden, Times of Northwest Indiana
dan.carden@nwi.com
INDIANAPOLIS | Gary lawmakers said they are confident they can restore a land-based casino option to gaming legislation approved by the Indiana Senate on Tuesday.
The Senate voted 33-17 to send to the House a measure that makes minor changes to state gaming law but does not include the land-based option recommended by the Gaming Study Committee.
"I think we've got a good chance of doing it," said state Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, a land-based gaming proponent since 1989.
Rogers said the Democratic majority in the House combined with Republican representatives that support gaming could add up to enough votes to restore the inland casino option.
"All the House asked me to do is to provide a vehicle. So they've got the vehicle now. It's up to them," Rogers said.
State Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, said he's happy to get behind the steering wheel of that vehicle.
"We will be making every effort to put back in the land-based language for Gary and make better use of that 11th license," Brown said.
The Majestic Star riverboat casinos in Gary currently operate on two separate gaming licenses. The original land-based casino legislation called for one of the Gary licenses to be returned to the state. Brown said he would like the sale or proceeds from the extra license to be used to support a proposed teaching hospital in Gary.
Gary officials and Majestic Star President Don Barden have proposed relocating the other casino from Lake Michigan to an inland site adjacent to the Borman Expressway near Interstate 65.
The Casino Association of Indiana opposed the legislation because its casino members fear land-based casinos in Indiana might take away some of their revenue.
The other provisions in the gaming legislation approved by the Senate change would gaming law in ways that would benefit Northwest Indiana casinos.
Under the proposal, permanently moored boats no longer would have to maintain marine engines and navigation equipment, riverboat casinos could hold gaming tournaments in adjacent hotel properties and casinos could offer free drinks to their best customers.
The legislation also requires agencies receiving subsidies through a local development agreement between a city government and a casino to disclose how those funds have been spent. That requirement could put an end to a years-long feud between the state attorney general and an East Chicago group over whether current law requires such disclosure.