Senate committee hears hours of testimony on proposal to move Rising Sun casino license to New Haven

Senate Public Policy Committee members spent most of a hearing on Senate Bill 293 listening to opposing and supporting testimony on a proposal to transfer a casino license from Rising Sun in Ohio County to New Haven.

Senator Zay, who introduced the measure, told the committee the bill would authorize the transfer and include accountability measures, including a $150,000,000 fee payable to the Indiana Gaming Commission if the license is moved, with payments structured as $30,000,000 installments over five years and penalties if the operation is resold within five years. The legislation would also create a “Together for Tomorrow” cooperative board, to be chaired by the New Haven mayor, to allocate supplemental funds for public safety, addiction and recovery services and a set of community welfare programs.

Supporters said the proposal would bring a large private investment and new jobs to New Haven; opponents warned it would deepen addiction, increase crime and harm families. The committee did not take a final vote and the chair said no vote would be taken at that session.

Why it matters: Moving a commercial casino license would shift taxable activity, local revenue and community impacts between counties and cities and trigger multi‑million‑dollar transfers and new local programs. The hearing showed starkly divided local public opinion and competing economic claims from operators and legacy communities.

What the bill would do Senate Bill 293, as described by the sponsor on the record, authorizes relocation of an existing casino gaming license from Rising Sun to a proposed 90‑acre site near the intersection of I‑469 and State Road 30 in New Haven. The bill as discussed at the hearing includes (1) an amendment requiring a $150,000,000 transfer fee to the Indiana Gaming Commission, payable in $30,000,000 installments across five years; (2) protections tied to a cooperative “Together for Tomorrow” committee to allocate a portion of proceeds to public safety, addiction recovery and other community needs; and (3) penalties or reduced benefits if the licensee resells the operation within five years.

Supporters’ case Alex Stolyar, chief development officer for Full House Resorts, said the company is proposing a phased, roughly $500,000,000 resort that the firm sees as an anchor development for northeast Indiana. Stolyar said his company and consultants estimate the move could raise wagering tax contributions to the state and local governments and create construction and operating jobs; he described a 90‑acre site with highway buffers, a truck stop on one edge and farming on another and said the property design provides separation from schools and churches that critics cited.

Mayor Steve McMichael of New Haven said he toured multiple Indiana casino communities and spoke with leaders in towns that host resorts. McMichael urged the committee to consider the local endowments and other long‑term funds the resort could seed in New Haven, including property tax relief and endowed community grants. He told senators he received broad local support and stressed planned commitments for employee protections and for a redevelopment plan for the existing Rising Sun site if the license relocates.

Rising Sun and Ohio County officials and the Rising Sun Regional Foundation said they had negotiated agreements with the licensee to preserve community funding flows if the license moves. Stan Wiedemann of the Rising Sun Regional Foundation said the foundation has distributed about $47,000,000 in grants and that the foundation and the city and county had an agreement in progress with the licensee to protect local programs.

Opponents’ case Dozens of residents, faith leaders, addiction‑recovery providers and anti‑gambling advocates urged senators to oppose the transfer. Witnesses described personal and family harms from gambling addiction, cited studies and exclusion lists, and said the social costs—addictions, bankruptcy, domestic violence and crime—outweigh promised tax or job benefits.

- Linda Zimmerman recounted family stories of gambling addiction and said the proposed site would damage farmland and churches near New Haven. - Michelle Kimpel and other New Haven residents said the local notification and planning process left neighbors surprised and concerned, and highlighted research they said showed high costs of commercialized gambling. - Lehi Bridal of Stop Predatory Gambling contrasted Indiana with Illinois and presented figures on lost personal wealth and self‑exclusion enrollments, saying in Indiana the number on the voluntary exclusion list exceeded the number of casino jobs. - Addiction‑recovery providers described clients who relapsed immediately after treatment when a casino was accessible and urged senators to prioritize prevention and treatment over license relocation.

Industry perspectives Representatives of incumbent casino operators asked the committee to be cautious. Caesars and Penn National representatives said relocation would destabilize an otherwise steady marketplace and could reduce investment and employment at existing facilities elsewhere in the state. John Hammond of Penn National, and Matt Purracker of Caesars, both said the state’s existing casino network had been the basis for multi‑million dollar investments built on regulatory and market stability and warned of unintended consequences from relocations.

What the committee did Committee chairmanship discussion included the filing and presentation of an amendment (amendment number 2) that would impose the $150,000,000 fee and other guardrails; members moved and seconded the amendment and took it on consent for discussion. After hours of testimony from residents, industry, municipal leaders and nonprofit groups, the chair announced he would not take a vote on SB 293 that day and moved the agenda on to another bill.

Clarifying details recorded in testimony - Transfer fee described in committee testimony: $150,000,000 total, payable in $30,000,000 annual (or periodic) increments over five years (as part of amendment number 2). - Sponsor’s stated development commitment (Full House presentation): a minimum $500,000,000 phased investment, with at least half in the initial phase; company materials cited a stabilized annual tax benefit figure in the tens of millions in a modeled year. - Rising Sun community funds: Rising Sun Regional Foundation reported more than $47,000,000 awarded in grants historically and said an agreement with the licensee envisaged protections if the license moved.

Speakers (selected, in order of first appearance) - Senator Zay, sponsor (introduced SB 293) - Chairman Alting (Senate Public Policy Committee chair) - Alex Stolyar, chief development officer, Full House Resorts (company representative) - Steve McMichael, mayor, City of New Haven (local official supporting the move) - Stan Wiedemann, vice president, Rising Sun Regional Foundation (Rising Sun community representative) - Linda Zimmerman (resident, opponent) - Michelle Kimpel (resident, opponent) - Lehi Bridal, national director, Stop Predatory Gambling (opponent advocacy) - Jordan Bradley, Lighthouse recovery program (recovery provider) - Brian Elmore and Ernie Gaskin (horse racing industry representatives) - John Hammond, Penn National Gaming (industry witness)

Authorities referenced on the record - "Senate Bill 293" (licensing and relocation legislation; sponsor: Senator Zay) - Indiana Gaming Commission (regulatory body repeatedly cited by witnesses for taxation and exclusion data) - Rising Sun public agreements (described by Rising Sun officials; not a codified statute in testimony) - Indiana Riverboat Gaming Act (referenced in historical testimony about gaming in the state)

Discussion versus decision - Discussion: Extensive public comment, municipal testimony, industry analysis and company investment proposals were presented and remain discussion‑level material. - Direction/assignment: Rising Sun officials and the licensee described an advisory and planning process for redevelopment of the Rising Sun site; Full House and Rising Sun/OH county said they had drafted agreements and an advisory panel to plan reuse; these are preparatory commitments rather than committee directions. - Formal action: The committee took no final vote on SB 293 during this hearing session; an amendment was offered and considered on consent for discussion.

Community relevance and context - Geographies affected: New Haven (Allen County) and Rising Sun (Ohio County) were consistently central to testimony; several witnesses described impacts across East Allen County and neighboring communities. - Impact groups: Veterans organizations, recovery agencies, families near the proposed site, horse racing industry participants and Rising Sun community beneficiaries were all named as directly affected. - Funding and programs: Testimony described proposed use of funds for public safety, addiction recovery and endowed community grants; Rising Sun said foundation grants historically supported local schools, infrastructure and services.

Ending note Committee members heard widely divergent testimony on SB 293, with residents and advocates urging rejection and New Haven leaders and the proposal’s sponsor arguing the relocation would bring a major investment and seed long‑term local revenues. The chair declined to take a vote that day and the bill remained pending for further consideration.