Indiana Casino Seeks New Location
Casino licenses are valuable everywhere, and Indiana is no exception. The city of Gary currently has two of the state-issued licenses at work on its docks, hosting two riverboats owned by Don Barden. However, Barden is eager to move one of his licenses to another location, and local politicians around the state are vying for the casino to land in their areas.
Barden has proposed consolidating the two boats in Gary into a single, larger boat which would be renovated and improved. This would free up a license to move elsewhere in northeastern Indiana. The idea has caught the fancy of several lawmakers; state Senator Robert Meeks wants the casino near his constituency in Steuben County, while Senate President Pro Tem David Long would like the gambling enterprise in Fort Wayne, his hometown.
However, Gary Mayor Rudy Clay is prepared to fight to keep both casinos on Lake Michigan, where they currently reside. Offers to enlarge and improve the boat that would remain in Gary does little to appease Clay, who sees revenue leaving if his town is reduced to one license.
Meeks, Long, and Barden all have struck a concilliatory tone with Clay, preferring to iron out differences rather than feud. Perhaps the ideal answer would be for Barden to upgrade his existing boats in Gary, while appealing to the legislature to which Meeks and Long belong to answer the obvious need for new licenses, an easy solution leaving all parties relatively happy.
