Churchill Downs Plans To Build Indiana’s 13th Casino
The Hoosier State has a new casino on the way, owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc.
The Louisville-based company will build the Queen of Terre Haute Casino in Terre Haute, IN.
Plans for Indiana’s newest attraction
In November, the state gaming commission approved CDI as a new commercially licensed operator.
CDI plans to build a $240 million hotel with 125 rooms. The gaming floor will feature 1,000 slots and 50 table games.
Jason Sauer, VP of corporate development for Churchill Downs Inc., had this to say:
“We’re excited to start down the path to groundbreaking on a nearly 50-acre site that’s easily accessible from I-70 and State Road 46. With continued oversight from the Indiana Gaming Commission, we look forward to taking the final steps in order to make this project a reality, and we are prepared to deliver a true destination casino resort to Vigo County.”
Sauer also said the new Indiana casino would employ about 500 full and part-time workers.
Work left to be done for Queen of Terre Haute Casino
Zoning for CDI’s new casino is for agricultural use only. Ther
efore, the Terre Haute Board of Zoning Appeals needs to approve the location, which it plans to discuss on March 2.
If approved by the zoning board, the final step would be approval from the Terre Haute City Council on March 8 in Indianapolis.
According to an economic impact study by Purdue University, the casino would generate almost $200 million in annual regional economic impact. This would translate to a 2% increase in the annual gross product in the area.
If all goes according to plan, the casino could be up and running sometime next year.
Sports betting and online casinos in Indiana
As of now, it’s unknown if CDI will construct a retail sportsbook at the Terre Haute locations.
CDI already has its BetAmerica Sportsbook up and running in the state. There are 13 Indiana mobile sports betting options.
Newly launched online casinos, on the other hand, have yet to gain any traction. Earlier this month, a pair of iGaming bills failed to make it out of committee.
Senator Jon Ford, a bill sponsor, plans to introduce legislation again in 2023.
