Fort Wayne Gets No Slot Machines

A bill in Indianapolis to legalize slot machines at the state’s two horse racing tracks has passed the House and is now on its way to the Senate. However, this bill will only allow slot machines at Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs. Fort Wayne wants slot machines as well, but it doesn’t look like they are going to get any.

If they had a river, they could possibly have a riverboat casino and bring in their slot machine revenue that way – but they don’t. They have been waiting for years for the state to allow their off-track betting parlor to have slot machines, but Legislators say that they have no plans on permitting that at this time.

Local officials would like to see the slot machines legalized, and know that the city could truly benefit from the games. They would like to see more money going toward their schools, as well as revitalizing their downtown – two things that slot machine revenue could help them achieve.

The existing casinos are against the legalization of the slot machines at the tracks, for they say that they will lose money to them from their coffers. They say that the state stands to lose money as well, for when their revenue drops, so does the amount that goes to the state. They are saying that the state will actually lose roughly $24 million a year in slot machine revenue if they allow the tracks the slots.

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