Orange County Fighting Slot Machines

The Indiana Ways and Means Committee has passed a bill to the House that would legalize slot machines at the state’s racetracks. State Rep. Jerry Denbo was one of those legislators that voted for the bill, as he said it was the right thing to do. He says that for years the horse tracks have been putting their own wants and needs on the back burners to give Orange County what it wanted – the French Lick Casino and the dockside. Now, it is their turn to get their slot machines and the others need to stand behind them.

However, Orange County and the French Lick Casino are trying to keep the horse tracks from getting slot machines as they say it will take money out of their pockets. The Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Orange County Council met this week to listen to a presentation by Chris Leininger, COO of the French Lick Resort Casino. He said that at least 25% of their client base comes from areas that are closer to the racetracks then to them, and they fear they will lose that money.

He went on to say that they would end up losing anywhere from 5-20% which would leave them short the $700,000 to $2.8 million that represents annually. He said that the government would lose money, as would everyone else. They asked Denbo via speakerphone how he would vote, and Denbo said he would vote in the best interests of Orange County.

Now they are upset, because they feel that he did not vote in the best interests of Orange County, but sides with the racetracks. They say that they feel they were betrayed by Denbo’s vote, and that the damage these slot machines could do to the French Lick Casino would be irreparable.

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