Parties include Churchill Downs, Hard Rock and Full House
Four applications have been submitted to the Indiana Gaming Commission seeking a gaming license to operate a casino in Vigo County. The deadline for applications with the Indiana Gaming Commission closed on Thursday 23 and the names of the applicants were promptly posted: CDITH LLC (Churchill Downs); FHR-Atlas LLC (Full House Resorts, Inc.); HR Terre Haute LLC (Hard Rock); Terre Haute Entertainment LLC (Premier Gaming Group; and Terre Haute Entertainment Holdings LLC)
No additional information about the applications was released by the Gaming Commission. However, Greg Small, executive director of the Gaming Commission, issued a statement saying, “We are very pleased with the level of interest in the Vigo County casino license and look forward to a competitive selection process. The work to evaluate these proposals begins immediately, with the goal of setting a commission meeting date for official action before the end of the year.”
After denying an annual license renewal in June to Lucy Luck Gaming LLC, the Indiana Gaming Commission reopened the application process for the Vigo County license. Lucy Luck has appealed the decision to deny its license renewal, and it is unclear how the pending appeal might affect the current license application process.
In June, the Gaming Commission said interested applicants must pay an application fee of US$50,000.
Vigo casino proposals
Churchill Downs has issued a news release saying it had submitted a proposal to develop the Queen of Terre Haute Casino Resort and is seeking the Vigo County license: “The Queen of Terre Haute will feature up to 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, a 125-room luxury hotel, a state-of-the-art TwinSpires sportsbook and several food & beverage offerings. From its name — inspired by Terre Haute’s nickname as the “Queen City of the Wabash Valley” — to concepts and design features across the facility, the Queen of Terre Haute will reflect the unique heritage of Vigo County and the surrounding region.”
Churchill Downs Inc. said an economic impact study conducted by economists at Purdue University estimates that the Queen of Terre Haute will generate US$190 million in annual regional economic impact, including 1,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs. According to the study, the project is expected to deliver a 2% annual increase in the West Central Indiana gross regional product.
“In the days ahead, we look forward to making our case to the Indiana Gaming Commission as to why our proposal to build the Queen of Terre Haute is in the best interest of the residents and businesses of Terre Haute, Vigo County and the State of Indiana,” said Bill Carstanjen, chief executive officer of Churchill Downs Inc.
Florida-based Hard Rock International, which recently took over Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary from Indianapolis-based Spectacle Entertainment. Hard Rock had been operating the new US$300 million casino in Gary since it opened in May.
Full House Resorts Inc. is based in Las Vegas and operates five casino facilities in Mississippi, Colorado, Indiana and Nevada. It operates the Rising Star Casino Resort in Rising Sun, Indiana. That resort features more than 1,000 slot machines, a variety of table games and 294 hotel rooms.
Premier Gaming Group, according to its website, has experience “in most of the major gaming markets in the United States, including Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana and Washington. Currently, Premier Gaming Group is an owner and operator of the Magnolia Bluffs Casino & Hotel in Natchez, Mississippi.”
