Two horse track gambling establishments near Indianapolis have been given a green light to introduce live dealer games for the first time ever.
Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Anderson and Indiana Grand Racing and Casino officials have been pushing for live casino introduction for a while now and it appears their efforts have finally been rewarded.
Ever since going fully operational in 2008, the two gaming venues have been limited to electronic games and the introduction of live dealer tables is expected to have a huge impact.
What’s on Offer?
Indiana Grand is set to introduce no less than 40 live dealer tables.
Games such as blackjack, craps and roulette are being added during the first days of January 2020. At the same time, Hossier Park will be adding 30 live casino tables.
The venue is planning a huge opening ceremony with Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo announced as a special guest.
Dan Nita, regional president for Caesars Entertainment, which owns the Anderson and Shelbyville casinos, said he expected both sites will soon expand their live table game sections.
“I think we will very quickly be able to demonstrate that the (central Indiana) market can support two to three times as many table games as we’re currently set up with,” Nita commented.
Ahead of Schedule
Live dealer games were initially not expected on horse track casinos before July 2021.
Former Gov. Mike Pence had objected to live casino introduction in a 2015 gambling bill approved by state lawmakers. However, the original date was cut 18 months short by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb in May.
A wide-ranging gambling bill also included the legalization of sports betting while also giving thumbs up to the construction of new casinos in Gary and Terre Haute.
It is being estimated that new live dealer tables will add an additional $12 million a year in state tax revenue. Such a prediction represents a 3% boost compared to the $443 million collected during 2019.
