Senate Public Policy panel advances bill to relocate Rising Star casino to Allen County, sets local revenue and safeguards

The Senate Public Policy Committee advanced Senate Bill 70, as amended, in an 8-0 vote after a day of testimony from local officials, business leaders, industry representatives and residents.

Senator Ron Alting, chair of the Senate Public Policy Committee, opened the hearing and asked the bill's author, Senator Justin Bush, to explain the measure and an accompanying amendment. Senator Bush said SB70 would allow an existing Indiana gaming license to be relocated to Allen County (Fort Wayne) rather than create a new license, require a mandatory minimum private capital investment of $500,000,000, impose a $25,000,000 relocation fee and a $50,000,000 anti-flip safeguard, and direct the Indiana Gaming Commission to evaluate economic and tax impacts.

"This is about greater economic development, not gaming expansion," Senator Justin Bush said, urging committee members to consider the legislation as a relocation with protections for Rising Sun.

Why it matters: Proponents argued the relocation would bring construction jobs, ongoing local wagering tax revenue and new tourism demand to Northeast Indiana. Mayor Sharon Tucker of Fort Wayne told the committee the city and county negotiated local agreements and support the relocation "because we are the fastest growing and have been growing tremendously for the past 15 years," and urged members to vote in favor.

Supporters cited numbers drawn from local studies and the state's independent Spectrum report. John Urbans, president and CEO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc., said the chamber's study estimates about $28 million in local wagering tax for Allen County, about $60 million statewide, and roughly $14 million in additional local government revenue. Alex Stoller, senior vice president for Full House Resorts (the Rising Star licensee), said relocation would allow the company to "invest a half billion dollars in the state of Indiana" using private funds and that the commission's study forecasts about $10–12 million in incremental state tax revenue annually.

Opponents and concerned residents raised social and economic risks. Tony Renz, executive director of the Indiana Standardbred Association, said the bill threatens the state's harness-racing and thoroughbred industries and stated, "as the bill sets right now, we cannot support that." Public commenters, including homeschooling parent Kristen Vazance and others, warned of downstream social costs they attribute to casinos — higher rates of problem gambling, crime and fiscal burdens for local services — and urged a Hoosier-specific study before moving forward.

The amendment offered by Senator Bush and discussed at length in the hearing would: raise the supplemental wagering tax from 3% to 3.5%, require local control and involvement in relocation decisions, mandate the $500 million private investment minimum, and create a local revenue distribution providing 60% of local receipts to cities, towns and county governments and 40% to a locally governed recovery fund intended to address mental health, homelessness and addiction.

Full House Resorts representatives and municipal leaders from Rising Sun, New Haven, Lawrenceburg and other counties described negotiated agreements intended to protect impacted communities and pledged commitments to scholarships, community supports and collaboration with horsemen where possible. Alex Stoller told the committee the company is willing to work with horsemen and community leaders to mitigate harms and support problem-gambling measures and local programs.

Committee action and next steps: After closing remarks by Senator Bush and a letter read into the record from State Senator Randy Maxwell, the committee moved to vote on SB70 in amended form. A roll call produced unanimous committee approval; the chair announced the bill "passes as amended eight-zero." The measure will be recommitted to the Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

What remains unresolved: Witnesses disagreed on the scale of social harms versus economic benefits and asked for clearer, Indiana-specific studies of gambling impacts. Horse-industry representatives said protections for purses and racetrack revenues need formal guarantees. Several public commenters questioned operator financial stability and whether projected long-term jobs are realistic.

The committee hearing produced a record of both local governmental support conditioned on safeguards and sustained opposition from racing-interest groups and some residents. The bill moves forward in the legislative process with the committee's amendment and commitments to continued negotiation.