Legislative expansions of casinos in Indiana and Virginia made progress this month, but the final outcomes were quite different from what stakeholders initially expected. The Governor of Indiana signed a bill authorizing referendums in three counties to create new casino licenses, yet excluded the most promising location, Indianapolis; the Virginia legislature passed a casino bill, but expanded the potential locations from Tysons to the entire county, facing strong resistance from local officials. In plain terms, the ideas of legislators and the conclusions of market research reports can sometimes be completely different.
Indiana: New License Issued, Capital Excluded from Bidding
On March 4, Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed HB 1038, officially creating a new state casino license. Voters in Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben counties will decide in November whether to allow casinos. Counties passing the referendum will qualify for bidding, and the Indiana Gaming Commission must determine the winner by April 15, 2027. The winning bidder must pay a $150 million license fee and complete a minimum capital investment of $500 million within five years. The assessment of the bill shows that each casino's annual adjusted gross revenue is expected to reach $170 million to $230 million. Notably, market research commissioned by the state listed Indianapolis as the location with the highest revenue potential, but the legislation ultimately excluded it. Also, the bill creates a new license rather than relocating the existing license of Rising Star Casino, which is a different direction from many years of discussion.
Virginia: County-wide Gambling, Local Officials Vow No Referendum
Both houses in Virginia passed the SB 756 casino expansion bill, but differences between the two versions need to be reconciled before being sent to the governor. If ultimately passed, all of Fairfax County will be eligible for casino locations, not just Tysons as had been unsuccessfully proposed for many years. However, local support is almost non-existent, and a growing local group coalition is urging the governor to veto the bill if passed. In the House vote, all three representatives from Fairfax County cast opposing votes. The county board chairman explicitly stated that if the bill passes in its current form, he "will not support putting it to a referendum," unwilling to let residents vote on a known disadvantageous issue. Tysons is only 15 miles from Washington D.C., and intelligence officials have warned that government employees and contractors, if susceptible to addiction and manipulation, could jeopardize public safety.
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