Indiana Records Tremendous Results in First Month of Live Dealer Activity

One month after the introduction of live dealer table games at Indiana racinos, the state has made more than promising results. Judging by the numbers, local gambling venues have generated a great amount of cash, with hundreds of millions of dollars arriving in the casino venues...

Indiana has introduced live dealer table options at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Anderson and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville. Starting from January 1, two Indiana racinos are richer for 71 live-dealer options. Indiana Grand Racing & Casino added 43 premium options while Harrah’s Hoosier Park included 28 chances. 

Indiana Gov., Eric Holcomb, signed the regulation in May 2019, allowing the addition of a live dealer option starting from 2020. Meanwhile, racinos have taken all necessary steps to ensure a successful start as of January 1. Both properties offer an array of chances including craps, blackjack, and roulette.

At the moment, the Indiana Gaming Commission is responsible for tracking and regulating casinos in the state. According to its detailed report, there are 13 casinos all over Indiana with 710 live table options. Since the introduction of live table games, players have lost about $160 million and revenues are taxable under a high rate.

An economist from Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Kyle Anderson said:

“These are people from Indiana who are spending their money at the casino, they may not be spending it at the restaurant or other entertainment venues so there is definitely a displacement effect that is going on that may not be good for the state overall.”

The approval of live table options has brought positive things to Indiana. It created new job opportunities including live dealer and general staff positions. However, Anderson observes that money for these purposes comes from other segments of life. He mentioned:

“Restaurants and entertainment are industries that are often hit the hardest when casinos expand and those tend to employee more people.”

Most Indiana gambling venues are based close to the state line and attract money outside of the region. Only in January, the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond generated about $43 million from live table options. Thanks to all these additions, Indiana governor Eric J. Holcomb, hopes to see the state creating more opportunities. He stated:

“By modernizing our laws, this legislation will spur positive economic growth for our state and for an industry that employs over 11,000 Hoosiers. Additionally, it will bring in the new revenue and create hundreds of new jobs – both permanent and in construction."

Source: “Indiana cleans up in first month of live casino table games“, Essex, Richard, WishTV, February 12, 2020.