Casino referendum voted down in three Indiana counties

by James Platz

Voters in three northeast Indiana counties said “No” Tuesday (Nov. 3) to a referendum that would have paved the way for a new casino in the state. A new gaming entity placed in Allen, DeKalb or Steuben counties would negatively impact the racinos at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in Anderson and Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville.

Earlier this year, Governor Mike Braun signed legislation into law allowing for a 14th casino license to be placed in the state’s northeast corridor. The catch was that voters in one of the three counties must first approve a referendum. Election boards in each county placed the following question on the ballot with a Yes/No vote: “Shall inland casino gambling be permitted in [insert county name]?” Citizens in all three counties voted the referendum down.

Voters in DeKalb County had the strongest response against the referendum, with nearly 65 per cent opposing a casino. Allen County, home of Fort Wayne, the state’s second most populous city and a 90-minute drive from Anderson, saw roughly 59 per cent of voters cast ballots opposing the referendum. In Steuben County, over 58 per cent voted against a casino.

It was a win for Indiana’s racing industry. According to a September 2025 study prepared for the Indiana Gaming Commission by Spectrum Gaming Group, placement of a casino in northeast Indiana would result in a $14.67 million annual loss in adjusted gross receipts (AGR) among the existing gaming properties throughout the state. That impact was projected to be a $1.76 million annual reduction in AGR at Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis, negatively affecting both operations and purses for standardbreds, thoroughbreds and quarter horses.

Tuesday’s referendum opposition defeats the second attempt to place a casino in the region in back-to-back sessions of the General Assembly. In a previous legislative session, lawmakers tried to advance a bill that would have relocated a casino license from southeast Indiana to New Haven (immediately east of Fort Wayne). The legislation never made it out of the Senate Public Policy committee. Defeat of Tuesday’s referendum means further attempts to place a casino in northeast Indiana will require legislative action in 2027.