Majority of gaming-district senators will be in first full term
Despite the proposed transfer of an operator’s license from Ohio County in Southeast Indiana to Allen County in Northeast Indiana and state budget shapers combing the couch cushions for any extra cash they can find (as, perhaps from a license transfer fee, an increase in Indiana’s low sports wagering tax – in both relative and absolute terms, and from authorizing iGaming and imposing significant fees and taxes), gaming was not an issue in any races – local, legislative, nor statewide.
No incumbent in either the House or Senate lost reelection. Your lineup of legislators who will represent jurisdictions with gaming operations, however, sees some changes, and you should also note that turnover across the last year or so and the November election will result in a number of new lawmakers with little or no experience, which can potentially prove problematic for communities seeking to defend their properties or play a significant role in the budget process.
There are 11 commercial casinos and two racinos; one Native American casino; three satellite wagering/sports wagering facilities; and one additional site under consideration for a license transfer.
Of those 18 properties, 10 will be represented by senators just elected in November or those serving their first full term (although two of those senators had prior Senate service after being caucused-in to their respective seats). Five of the eighteen will have House members serving their first full terms representing them. That means of the 36 lawmakers representing gaming properties (including the prospective site), 15 – almost one-third – will be serving in their respective e first full terms in the 2025 session . . . although some are senators with two or more years of service under their respective belts.
Some of the new lawmakers are also Democrats, which means that they will be swimming upriver against an even stronger current created by the Republican supermajority.
On the House side, 10 of the 18 properties will be represented by majority Republicans; 11 of the 18 gaming districts on the Senate side will be represented by majority Republicans. There has been considerable change over the past few decades from the time when “riverboat” districts were largely represented by Democrats.
Lawmakers from gaming communities leaving the legislative scene are former Rep. Randy Lyness (R) of Dearborn County, the vice chair of the House Committee on Local Government who represented the original three Cincinnati market riverboats since 2014 . . . and former Rep. Ryan Hatfield (D) of Evansville, who, since 2016, has represented the district that includes Bally’s Evansville. Hatfield, who had been the assistant Democratic leader, was elected as a judge in Vanderburgh County.
If you look to the most important decision that may have to be made affecting an individual casino or community if the gaming moratorium is lifted by leadership in the 2025 session, Ohi County and Rising Sun will be represented by two first-term lawmakers – one newly elected just this month. Attorney Garrett Bascom (R) of Lawrenceburg will join Sen. Randy Maxwell (R) of rural Dearborn County in trying to protect the interests of governmental units and employees at the states smallest property, Rising Star Casino Resort as its operator seeks to move the license to an Allen County community represented by a freshman senator with two years of experience under his belt, and a veteran House member who has family ties to the gaming industry. Rep. Bascom and Sen. Maxwell must also balance the interests of the other casino communities that they represent; Lawrenceburg and Switzerland County are in common district, and both would benefit from another $3.5 million or so in revenue on average to split up on a monthly basis if Rising Star sets sail for New Haven (and both also live in Dearborn County, home to Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg).
We’re not sure whether any of the Lake County convention center siting issues will return to the General Assembly, but in the battle between Gary and Hobart, Mark Spencer (D) will be leaving the Gary City Council to join the Senate representing both Gary and Hobart in SD 03, succeeding the man he defeated in the May primary, David Vinzant of Hobart (D) – who had been selected in a caucus to complete the term of Eddie Melton after Melton left the Senate seat after the 2023 election to assume office as Gary’s mayor. Gary and Hard Rock will have a legislative leg up on Hobart for the convention center campus.
Backers of iGaming and e-tabs for the veterans service organizations are hard at work making their case to the new lawmakers in the General Assembly writ large for expansion, but must also convince the new members from gaming entities in their respective districts that expansion can come without undue harm to their respective facilities.