Holcomb Signs Casino Bill

New locations in Gary and Terre Haute

Governor Eric Holcomb has signed the much-debated casino bill into law and became the 10th state to legalize sports betting.. House Enrolled Act 1015 authorizes sports betting at Indiana casinos and via smartphones, as well as allows live-dealer gambling at Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville in 2020. Previously, live gaming would have gone into effect a year later.

The bill was approved by the Indiana General Assembly on the final day of the legislative session. It also allows Indianapolis-based Spectacle Entertainment, which owns the two Majestic Star riverboat casinos in northwest Indiana, to move one of the casinos to a new location in downtown Gary and the other to a new spot Terre Haute. The latter must still be approved by voters.

Additionally, Spectacle will be required to pay a $20 million fee to relocate the Terre Haute casino, and must also compensate the cities of Evansville, French Lick, East Chicago, Hammond and Michigan City for what the station says would be an expected drop in business due to the relocated casinos.