Four Indiana Counties Now Vying in Race for Relocated Casino License

^{The Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, where House Bill 1038 is advancing and expanding the list of counties eligible for a relocated casino license. Ironically enough, Indianapolis is not one of the prime locations looked at for a casino license. (Photo: Coy St. Clair / Alamy)}

Fort Wayne may still be the favorite to snag the casino license that is looking to transfer out of Rising Sun, but a revised bill in the state legislature is now adding a lot more competition to that process.

House Bill 1038, which would allow the relocation of the struggling Rising Star Casino license from Rising Sun, was amended Thursday to include four potential host counties. While Allen County – the home of Fort Wayne – remains the focus of the effort to move the casino license were also DeKalb, Steuben, and Wayne counties included as contenders when revisions were made to the bill on Thursday.

Amendment Includes Counties That Have ‘Raised Their Hands’

The race to grab the available casino license has developed in recent years as the Rising Star Casino has struggled to keep up with the rest of the state’s gaming industry. The riverboat casino, which operates along the Ohio River, ranks last in tax revenues among the 13 regulated casinos in Indiana, and has been struggling ever since Ohio opened its own casinos. 

“These counties are included because they have, in one way or other, raised their hands as being interested,” House Public Policy Committee Chair Ethan Manning (R-Logansport) said. “They’ve got a significant amount of alignment within their local governments.”

The owner, Full House Resorts, has thus been looking to move away from its current location to a more lucrative area of the state. In October 2025, the Indiana Gaming Commission released a study finding that Indianapolis would be the location that would bring in the most revenue, followed by northeast Indiana. However, Indianapolis would also cannibalize some revenues from nearby casinos in Shelbyville and Anderson.

Northeastern locations, including Fort Wayne, would instead do battle with casinos in Ohio and Michigan to potentially capture more new revenue that is currently flowing out of state.

Bill Requires Substantial Investment, Compensation for Ohio County

Under the terms of the amendment, any company that builds a new casino would have to spend at least $500 million on development over five years. That company would also need to pay the state $50 million in fees over that period. Another $30 million would be owed to the city of Rising Sun and Ohio County in compensation for lost tax revenue. 

If Full House Resorts isn’t the winning operator for the transferred license, the winning company would also owe Full House the fair market value price of the current Rising Star Casino.

The Indiana Gaming Commission would be tasked with choosing the new operator by April 15, 2027, with a city mayor and board of county commissioners required to sign off on any new casino site.

Wayne County officials appeared to welcome the bill’s 9-1 passage in the Public Policy Committee, even if it came with the potential for competition with other regions.

“The passage of this amendment officially places Wayne County and Richmond at the center of this conversation moving forward,” Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce representative Melissa Vance said in a statement. “Our community is excited, engaged, and prepared to continue advocating fiercely for the opportunity to welcome a casino in east central Indiana – one that would uplift our local economy and benefit residents across the region.”

But other counties are seeing this amendment as an opening for their own casino plans as well.

“In the past month, we’ve gained a lot of ground in terms of community support and cohesion for Steuben County being included,” Steuben County Commissioners President Wil Howard told the committee. 

Notably, the bill doesn’t include Indianapolis as a potential casino relocation target – something that local lawmakers are likely to fight going forward.

“That remains very difficult for me to square, based on the evidence as studies have consistently shown Indianapolis would be the most productive location for a casino,” State Representative Blake Johnson (D-Indianapolis), a member of the Public Policy Committee, said.