Indiana Regulators Will Announce New Terre Haute Casino License On Nov. 17

Four gaming corporations are contenders for the Terre Haute casino project, which has faced several obstacles and delays. However, progress is now being made towards its completion.

The decision on which company will receive the license will be made by the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) by Nov. 17, as announced by Greg Small, the IGC’s executive director, at a meeting on Wednesday.

Four firms vie for casino license in Terre Haute

Businesses interested in the casino license for Vigo County were required to submit their applications by Sept. 22.

The IGC announced on Sept. 23 that it had received four bids.

The license was applied for by the following companies:

• CDITH, LLC (Churchill Downs)
• Full House Resorts, Inc. (FHR-Atlas LLC)
• Hard Rock HR Terre Haute, LLC
• Premier Gaming Group and Terre Haute Entertainment Holdings LLC, collectively known as Terre Haute Entertainment, LLC.

Churchill Downs and The Queen of Terre Haute

Churchill Downs’ proposal included plans to christen the casino as The Queen of Terre Haute. The casino would feature up to 1,000 slot machines and 50 table games.

The plans also include the construction of a 125-room luxury hotel and a TwinSpires Sportsbook on the property.

The concepts and design features throughout the casino will mirror the heritage of Vigo county.

Hard Rock Rocksino

Hard Rock has already assumed control of a casino project in Gary, Indiana. If it secures the bid for the Terre Haute project, this casino would be a sibling establishment to the northern one.

The Hard Rock had already intended to associate its name with the Terre Haute project when Lucy Luck Gaming was managing the property. However, now that Lucy Luck has lost the license, it is considering proceeding independently without a partner.

Hard Rock intends to construct a “Rocksino” featuring 850 slot machines, 35 table and poker games, in addition to six restaurants and bars.

Full House Resorts American Place

Should Full House Resorts be victorious in the bid, they will possess two casinos within the state. They currently are the owners of Rising Star Casino.

It plans to construct a temporary casino called American Place in the Haute City Center Mall, which previously housed the Macy’s department store.

The temporary casino is set to open in mid-May 2022 and will be operational for 18-24 months. During this period, the permanent location, which is situated on the land owned by the company near the I-70/SR 46 interchange, will be under development.

Full House is prepared to invest $250 million in the construction of a facility that will house 1,000 slot machines, 50 table games, and a sportsbook.

The hotel will be designed in a shape that resembles a “happy smile.” The majority of the guest rooms will feature panoramic views of the surrounding area.

Premier Gaming Group and Terre Haute Entertainment Holdings

Plans for a casino featuring 800 slot machines and 20 table games have been submitted by Premier Gaming Group and Terre Haute Entertainment Holdings.

The property would also include a sportsbook and an outdoor rooftop bar with a cover.

If the group is awarded the bid, it would be their first casino property in Indiana.

Greg Small has a large task to tackle.

Greg Small, the Executive Director of IGC, is undertaking a significant initial assignment in his new position. Before last month, Sara Gonso Tait had held that position with IGC since 2016.

Though he may not have been the executive director during the entire Terre Haute casino project saga, he was certainly familiar with it. Small held the position of General Counsel for the commission under Gonso Tait.

He will play a crucial role in determining who receives the license and brings this project back on track.

Small commented on the license bidding process, saying,

We’ve received four applications, ensuring a competitive process that I believe will greatly benefit both the state and the local community. This is primarily because we have four reputed operators who are seasoned gaming professionals in other regions, indicating a promising process lies ahead of us.

The project, which has endured over 18 months of trials and tribulations, will finally progress in November, following the IGC’s final decision.