Northeast Indiana Casino Bill Becomes Law. Do Any of the Three Counties Want The Casino?
Posted on: March 4, 2026, 07:39h.
Last updated on: March 4, 2026, 07:39h.
- Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has signed a casino bill
- The legislation qualifies Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben counties for casino considerations
- Only one of the counties could open a casino
The Northeast Indiana casino bill has been signed by Gov. Mike Braun (R). The law grants voters in Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben the right to decide if a casino should be allowed in their counties.
House Enrolled Act 1038 permits a casino in one of the three counties. Before the Indiana Gaming Commission can consider awarding a gaming license for Allen, DeKalb, or Steuben counties, county voters must pass a local ballot question that reads:
“Shall inland casino gambling be permitted in _____ County?”
If a majority of voters do not embrace the casino referendum, a second public question may not be held in that county. If a county does approve the gaming question, the county’s local government would be able to field bids from interested developers and select a proposal to present before the IGC.
Braun said the local referendum was obligatory in gaining his signature.
Indiana Casino Bill Details
Full House Resorts was behind the lobbying effort to get state lawmakers on board with allowing a casino in Northeast Indiana. The company is no longer interested in running its Rising Star Casino in Rising Sun and believes relocating to the northeast region would be a better bet for its gaming business in Indiana.
A study commissioned by the IGC found that the Fort Wayne area, aside from downtown Indianapolis, is the most underserved gaming market in the state. Once reserved for the owner of the casino license in Ohio County, lawmakers during the legislative review of 1038 amended the statute to allow “any operator of a brick and mortar casino located in the United States” to apply for the Northeast Indiana gaming license.
The winner of the newly authorized gaming license, should there be one, would need to pay a one-time fee of $150 million. That was increased from $80 million during the bill’s assessment.
If Full House is the winner, it would need to cease operating its Rising Star property, and $50 million of the upfront licensing fee would go to the “shuttered riverboat fund” to help Ohio County.
The new license additionally requires a minimum investment of $500 million, with 60% needed to be invested within the first two years of the concession being awarded.
Local Opposition
An opposition group has already formed in Fort Wayne’s Allen County to convince voters to resist a casino effort in the state’s second most populous city.
“Save Fort Wayne” is backed by a group of anonymous area businessowners and “concerned residents.” The committee, which isn’t registered as a political entity with the state, commissioned an economic impact analysis of a casino that concluded net negative findings.
The proposal to introduce a commercial casino into the Fort Wayne market would represent a fundamental and potentially irreversible shift in the economic and social fabric of Northeast Indiana,” read the study, titled the Economic Realities, Legal Barriers, and Socioeconomic Implications of Allen County Casino.
No formal groups have been assembled in DeKalb or Steuben counties to oppose a casino, though many residents have spoken out against gambling, citing crime, traffic, and social concerns.
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