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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA state lawmaker wants to clear the way for a casino in Terre Haute.
Republican Sen. Jon Ford is proposing legislation to move unused games held by the Rising Sun casino to Terre Haute. He tells the Tribune-Star that a new casino would create hundreds of jobs and millions in taxes for Indiana and local government.
The Rising Sun casino now operates in southeastern Indiana, near Cincinnati. Alex Stolyar of Full House Resorts, which operates Rising Sun, says Terre Haute could be a "prime market."
He says the city's location near the Illinois border could attract players from that state. Stolyar says he wants to stay a step ahead of any plans for a casino in Danville, Illinois.
If approved, a Terre Haute casino could be ready in 2019.
However, legislation to put a casino in one, specific location would be tough to pass. Lawmakers from Gary have tried for years to move one of its riverboat casinos inland and a proposal to move part of Rising Sun’s gambling operations to Indianapolis found a skeptical response.
In addition, lawmakers from other areas would almost certainly take advantage of the Terre Haute legislation to try to authorize casinos for other areas.
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