Casino Gambling Strategy Examined by Indiana
Indiana legislators will review the state's gaming laws in an effort to buttress the gambling industry against competition springing up in nearby states. Lawmakers want to be assured the gaming revenues which fund the state budget will not be diminished by additional gambling in Kentucky, Ohio, or Illinois."We have to look at how we deliver gaming in Indiana," said Representative Trent Van Haaften in remarks to the Louisville Courier-Journal. "The foremost issue we need to look at is the possible competition from other states."
Among possible changes might be an adjustment of the riverboat law, instead allowing casinos on land, or allowing comped beverages for players.
Indiana has operated ten licensed riverboat casinos since legalizing them in 1993. Many of the locations are short distances from state borders, designed to attract tourists from states with stricter gaming policies.
Lawmakers say they expect hearings on how to change Indiana gambling law to begin after Labor Day, and new legislation to be proposed by early next year.
The executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, Ernest Yelton, said he thought the study of potential changes was an excellent idea so as to foresee the effect on the entire state gaming business.
"Some (changes) may be simple on their face but they can have a domino effect," Yelton said. "They need to study them and see which ones have merit."
