Introduction to Indiana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

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Indiana’s tribal casino is the Four Winds Casino South Bend located 150 miles north of Indianapolis directly east of Chicago on the border to Michigan. It offers 1,800 Class II competition-style gaming machines alongside live poker tables. Hoosier Park opened its doors in 1994 offering world-class horseracing in Anderson, Indiana on a 7/8-mile oval horse track and later constructed a casino at the venue. The casino was inaugurated in June 2008 and covers an area of 172,000 square feet, featuring 2,000 slot machines and electronic tables that range in denomination from.01 to $100.

Indiana slot machine casino gambling consists of eleven commercial casinos, two pari-mutuel wagering racetracks, and one tribal casino.

Indiana does not offer payout limits but does provide annual and monthly return statistics for its non-tribal casinos.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Indiana*

The minimum legal gambling age in Indiana does not depend upon the gambling activity:

• Land-Based Casinos: 21
• Poker Rooms: 21
• Bingo: 21
• Lottery: 18
• Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

Indiana’s 1851 constitution banned lotteries, historically interpreted by courts to mean all gambling. In 1988, Indiana approved a constitutional amendment removing this ban. Within months, cities with economic difficulties had casino proposals.

In 2007, Indiana allowed horse tracks to have as many as 2,000 electronic gaming machines. Further, the state legislature approved land-based casinos in 2015. Also, in 2015, the state legislature approved a measure allowing riverboat casinos to move into a land-based casino facility if located on their current property.

The state of Indiana has a federally-recognized American Indian tribe. In 2015, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians successfully negotiated a tribal-state compact subsequently approved by the U.S. Department of Interior.

By the compact’s terms, the tribal casino could only have Class II bingo-style gaming machines. In early 2018, the tribe opened its first tribal casino.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Indiana

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Indiana if it is 40 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in Indiana

The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) regulates gaming in Indiana. The IGC offers comprehensive annual reports on all aspects of legal gaming in Indiana. Indiana’s two other gaming commissions regulate the Hoosier Lottery and Indiana Horse Racing.

The Indiana Gaming Commission has a law enforcement arm called the Gaming Control Division. Its primary role is to investigate illegal gambling. Enforcement of illegal gambling at bars and taverns is by the Indiana Alcohol & Tobacco Commission.

Casinos in Indiana

There are eleven commercial casinos, two pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, and one American Indian tribal casino in Indiana.

The largest casino in Indiana is Horseshoe Casino Hammond with 2,123 gaming machines, 116 table games, and a 34-table poker room.

The second-largest casino is Indiana Grand Racing Casino with 2,020 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in Indiana

Indiana’s thirteen commercial casinos include its original ten riverboat casinos, an additional land-based casino, and two pari-mutuel wagering racetracks with slot machines. These non-tribal casinos are:

1. Ameristar East Chicago located 11 miles northwest of Gary.
2. Belterra Casino Resort in Florence located 116 miles southeast of Indianapolis on the Kentucky border.
3. Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa in Michigan City located 26 miles northeast of Gary.
4. French Lick Resort located 100 miles south of Indianapolis.
5. Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg located 98 miles southeast of Indianapolis on the Ohio border.
6. Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson located 43 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
7. Horseshoe Hammond located 20 miles northwest of Gary.
8. Caesars Southern Indiana in Elizabeth located 123 miles south of Indianapolis across the river from Louisville, Kentucky.
9. Indiana Grand Racing Casino in Shelbyville located 27 miles southeast of Indianapolis.
10. Majestic Star Casinos I & II in Gary.
11. Rising Star Casino Resort located 105 miles southeast of Indianapolis on the Kentucky border.
12. Tropicana Evansville located 169 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

Tribal Casinos in Indiana

Indiana’s tribal casino is the Four Winds Casino South Bend located 150 miles north of Indianapolis directly east of Chicago on the border to Michigan. It offers 1,800 Class II competition-style gaming machines alongside live poker tables.

Poker has been interpreted in Indiana as a skill-based game and, therefore, just another Class II game. It is considered a competition-style game as players bet against each other and aren’t betting “against the house” or casino.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Indiana slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Indiana is:

• North: Michigan Slots
• East: Ohio Slots
• South: Kentucky Slots
• West: Illinois Slots

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Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Indiana.

Our Indiana Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Indiana? If so, join our new Indiana slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Indiana. Join us!

Payout Returns in Indiana

Indiana has not set minimum or maximum theoretical payout return limits. Monthly and annual return statistics are available, although none are available from the tribal casino. The annual reports detail return statistics by slot machine denomination.

The IGC’s 2019 annual report has Electronic Gaming Device (EGD) COIN-IN on page 41. The next page has EGD Win. Divide WIN by COIN-IN, then subtract the result from 100% to calculate a player’s win percentage.

For your convenience, I have calculated the mid-2018 through mid-2019 player win percentages for each casino below. In addition to an annual report, the Indiana Gaming Commission also offers monthly revenue reports by the 11th of the following month.

Again, use COIN IN and WIN to calculate the player’s win percentage. Unlike the annual reports, these monthly reports do not contain return statistics by slot machine denomination.

These Annual and Monthly Player Win% are:

• Ameristar East Chicago: 89.91% (annual) and 90.05% (Nov. 2019)
• Belterra Casino Resort: 90.78% (annual) and 90.82% (Nov. 2019)
• Blue Chip Casino: 91.40% (annual) and 91.23% (Nov. 2019)
• French Lick Resort: 91.56% (annual) and 91.05% (Nov. 2019)
• Hollywood Lawrenceburg: 89.96% (annual) and 90.23% (Nov. 2019)
• Harrah’s Hoosier Park: 91.08% (annual) and 90.63% (Nov. 2019)
• Horseshoe Hammond: 90.07% (annual) and 90.04% (Nov. 2019)
• Caesars Southern Indiana: 89.99% (annual) and 90.67% (Nov. 2019)
• Indiana Grand Racing: 90.90% (annual) and 90.34% (Nov. 2019)
• Majestic Star Casino I: 90.26% (annual) and 90.21% (Nov. 2019)
• Majestic Star Casino II: 89.84% (annual) and 89.90% (Nov. 2019)
• Rising Star Casino Resort: 91.38% (annual) and 92.07% (Nov. 2019)
• Tropicana Evansville: 89.60% (annual) and 89.93% (Nov. 2019)

Further, the mid-2018 through mid-2019 statewide annual player’s win percentage is 90.52%. The monthly statewide player’s win% was slightly less at 90.45%.

The casino with the highest annual return was French Lick. The highest monthly return went to Rising Star. It’s worth mentioning that French Lick had the second-highest annual return and Rising Star the third-highest in the previous year.

The casino with the lowest annual return was, once again, this year, Tropicana Evansville. Its monthly return was the second-lowest while Majestic Star II had the lowest.

Summary of Indiana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Indiana slot machine casino gambling consists of 10 riverboat casinos, one land-based casino, two pari-mutual racetracks with slot machines, and a tribal casino with Class II bingo-style gaming machines.

Indiana’s casinos don’t operate under theoretical payout limits. However, non-tribal casinos have annual return statistics by casino and slot machine denomination. Monthly return statistics are by the casino only.

Annual Progress in Indiana Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, Horseshoe Casino Hotel Southern Indiana became Caesars Southern Indiana. Hoosier Park has become Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

• Previous: Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling
• Next: Iowa Slot Machine Casino Gambling

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By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino is a racino including a standardbred racetrack located in Anderson, Indiana, approximately 30 miles northeast of Indianapolis. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The facility features live harness racing from April through November, casino gaming, restaurants, a gift shop, and entertainment.

The $300,000 Dan Patch Stakes was established at Hoosier Park in 1994 and has become a tradition that highlights some of the best athletes in the sport of harness racing. The 2017 Breeders Crown, harness racing's annual series of 12 championship events valued at $6 million, was contested at Hoosier Park on October 27 & 28.^[1]

Hoosier Park offers off-track betting (OTB) at three locations in Indiana: Clarksville, Indianapolis, and New Haven. Hoosier Park also offers simulcast wagering year-round.

Hoosier Park has hosted musicians such as The Beach Boys, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Billy Currington.

History[edit]

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In 1990, Virgil E. Cook, a prominent local businessman and longtime resident of Anderson, Indiana, donated 110 acres (0.45 km²) of commercial real estate to the city for the sole purpose of developing a pari-mutuel racing facility. In 1992, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced plans to purchase Indiana's only pari-mutuel license from The Anderson Park Group headed by Louis Carlo and open a racetrack on the site of the land donated by Cook. It was the first racetrack outside Kentucky owned by Churchill Downs since 1939. In February 1994 a contract was signed for the construction of Hoosier Park. The construction of the facility cost approximately $13 million. On September 1, 1994, the track finally opened. A crowd of 7,633 came to the grand opening of the standardbred season. The track announces plans to open four off-track betting facilities in Indiana. On October 7, 1995, the first Indiana Derby was run.

Churchill Downs sold Hoosier Park in April 2007 for $8.2 million to Centaur Group.

Legislation was passed shortly after April 2007 to permit slot machines at both tracks, converting them to racinos. Both tracks were legislated to get a 55 percent share of the estimated $325 million the 2,000 slots at each of the state's two tracks were expected to generate annually. This would also increase the purse sizes of the races.

Hoosier Park Casino opened to the public on June 2, 2008.^[2]

In 2001, Indiana Downs became the second horse racing track in the state. Initially located in Fairland, Indiana; it was later annexed into nearby Shelbyville, Indiana.

The Indiana Derby was once held at Hoosier Park but is now held at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

In 2018, Caesars Entertainment bought Hoosier Park from Centaur Holdings, along with Indiana Grand.^[3] The company stated that it might rebrand the property as Harrah's Hoosier Park.^[4]

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Physical attributes[edit]

The track is a seven-eighths of a mile dirt oval. There is no turf course.

Racing[edit]

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Stakes races at Hoosier Park include:

• The Dan Patch Stakes
• The Nadia Lobell
• Kentuckiana Stallion Management
• Centaur Trotting Classic
• The Hoosier Park Pacing Derby
• The Elevation
• The Jenna's Beachboy
• The Moni Maker
• The Circle City
• The Madison County
• The Pegasus
• The Monument Circle
• The Carl Erskine
• The USS Indianapolis Mem.
• The Crossroads of America

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^AP 5:10 p.m. EDT October 29, 2014 (2014-10-29). 'Breeders Crown sites announced through 2017'. Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
2. ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-09-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. ^'Caesars' purchase of two Indiana racinos finalized'. The Times of Northwest Indiana. July 17, 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-17.
4. ^Lindsey Erdody (July 6, 2018). 'Caesars steps into unfamiliar role in Indiana: horse track operator'. Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved 2018-07-17.

External links[edit]