Available at two locations
Thanks to an expanded gaming bill passed by state lawmakers last year, Indiana’s two racinos have celebrated the new year by adding a selection of live table games. This includes blackjac, craps, and roulette.
Located near Indianapolis, Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino are hoping to attract more gamblers by making the switch from electronic table games, which have been offered in the state for more than a decade, to live table games.
hoping to attract more gamblers by making the switch from electronic table games
Hoosier Park has added 28 table games. Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers attended a ceremony at the venue to celebrate the launch. The Indiana Grand has opened 43 table games.
Hundreds of jobs created
With the introduction of live table games, racinos will be able to function as state regulated casinos, of which there are eleven in Indiana. A tribal casino in South Bend remains limited to offering only electronic table games.
Matt Bell, president of the Casino Association of Indiana, believes the new games will allow the state to compete with their neighbors, such as Illinois.
He said: “We’ll be ahead of Illinois. We’ll offer a better experience than Illinois, and that will allow us to draw customers from across the state line that otherwise might belong to them.”
Introduced earlier than expected
Live table games were not expected to be added to racinos until July 2021. Then-Governor Mike Pence was not in favor of the change included in the 2015 gambling bill that lawmakers approved.
However, the date of launch was eventually moved up a full 18 months. This came after Governor Eric Holcombe signed a gambling bill to legalize sports betting, allow new casinos to be constructed, and welcome live table games.
live table games are expected to generate $12m in tax revenue annually
Estimates show that the live table games are expected to generate $12m in tax revenue annually. This figure includes projected declines from other casinos in the state due to the new gaming option.
Sports betting debut
The new table games have launched just a few months after Indiana began offering sports betting services. The state launched their sports betting industry in September. As reported on VSO News, Indiana’s sportsbooks handled over $100m in bets in November.
The total sports betting handle in November was $147.3m, which represented a monthly increase of 61%. In November, 65% of the bets placed were online.