Caesars Announces Second Multi-Million Dollar Expansion At Indiana Grand

The Indiana Grand Casino has another expansion on its agenda.

Recently, a $32 million expansion began construction at the Caesars property.

Now, the casino is turning its attention to horse racing.

Indiana Grand is one of two horse racing casino locations in the state.

The latest expansion of the “racino” demonstrates Caesars’ dedication to Indiana. This will also provide the racetrack on the property with some much-needed improvements.

Expansion of Indiana Grand Horse Racing

Caesars is investing $7 million into the horse racing business of Indiana Grand.

That money will be allocated to several projects, such as the barn and dorm facilities at the racetrack.

For instance, 100 new stalls and 50 new dorm rooms will be added to the racing area.

The enlarged dorm room will eventually be a two-story building located adjacent to the new barn.

The expansion incorporates winterized sliding doors on both sides of the barn, in addition to 10 new wash bays and 10 tack rooms.

Once everything is settled, the property will have enough room to accommodate nearly 1,200 horses.

The casino aims to begin construction at some point in May.

Improving Indiana horse racing

The racing area at Indiana Grand could benefit from some enhancements.

Joe Morris, Caesars Vice President of Racing, stated that the property currently doesn’t have sufficient stalls.

Our destination is not within our control. Our dependence on horses from other states is too high. By adding a hundred more stalls, we can enlarge our stables and accommodate more horses.

As the number of dorm rooms increases, there will also be an increase in space for groomers and caretakers.

Morris is of the opinion that it will greatly impact the property.

In our industry, groomers hold the utmost importance. They reside with our horses, accompanying them from dawn to dusk. We provide them with a comfortable, secure, and climate-controlled living space. This arrangement allows our trainers to handle more horses.

Increased numbers of horses lead to crowded fields for events, which is beneficial for the horse racing aspect of Indiana’s gambling scene.

The expansion is expected to increase the activity at Indiana Grand’s already bustling track throughout the year.

This is all due to Caesars investing millions of dollars into the racino.

Caesars fulfills promise on horse racing

Both of the Hoosier State’s racinos are owned by Caesars.

The only two horse racing casinos in the state are Indiana Grand and Harrah's Hoosier Park.

Caesars is beginning to invest its money into the two properties, as it had previously stated.

Last year, Eldorado Resorts merged with Caesars, a deal that required approval from Indiana regulators.

That approval was almost derailed by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC).

The commission wasn’t particularly excited about the company assuming control of state racing.

Simply put, the Commission Staff cannot fully or enthusiastically endorse the approval of ERI’s permit application.

At that time, the IHRC was worried about the company’s past dealings with other racetracks across the country.

The argument was that Eldorado had neglected some racetracks they had previously purchased, and there was a desire to prevent that from happening in Indiana.

Tom Reeg, CEO of Eldorado, formulated a horse racing strategy to alleviate the concerns of the commission. The firm pledged to enhance Indiana’s racinos with certain improvements.

• A commitment of $60 million to enlarge Indiana Grand and Hoosier Park.
• A commitment of $25 million every decade for the maintenance of racetracks.
• Interest was jump-started by adding $1 million to racing purses from 2020-2022.
• Community organizations and charities in Shelbyville and Anderson received $250,000 in donations.

The recent expansions at Indiana Grand demonstrate that Caesars is so far taking this matter seriously.

The company is ensuring that Indiana Grand maintains its reputation as a premier gambling option in the Indianapolis area, so as not to neglect its properties in Indiana.

Caesars is also likely to expand Hoosier Park at some point in the future.

Taking everything into account, the investments are fantastic news for Hoosiers in Indiana who take pleasure in horse betting.