INDIANAPOLIS — The public received its first glance on Tuesday of a highly-anticipated proposal that would allow Tropicana Evansville and the state’s other riverboats to move onto land within the footprint of their current facilities.
Other bills filed in this year’s General Assembly deal with land-based gaming, but the legislation authored by state Rep. Tom Dermody, a LaPorte Republican, is the one to watch. Dermody is the chairman of the House Public Policy Committee, of which the legislation is assigned, and also heads a study committee that in October recommended that riverboats move onto land.
“We’ve done a lot of work during the summer. We see the need for some improvements to the industry, so I’m excited about that. It’s a long process obviously between the House and the Senate, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to debate the issues,” Dermody said.
Dermody said he’s not heard how Gov. Mike Pence feels about the proposal. Pence has not offered specifics on whether he believes land-based casinos would constitute an expansion of gaming, to which the Republican governor opposes.
Among other gaming issues, the legislation does not eliminate or make changes to the $3 admissions tax casinos pay per visitor. Dermody said he expects any tax-related items concerning the industry to be discussed by the House Ways & Means Committee, which vets fiscal proposals for the chamber. Both the city of Evansville and Vanderburgh County receive about $2 million per year from the tax casinos pay every time a person visits a facility, even if it’s multiple times in the same day.
Tropicana General Manager Jason Gregorec has said the casino wants to move to land as close to the parking structure and hotel as possible. One option is an area southwest of the parking structure. Another option would be locating the casino within the pavilion building — though Gregorec in October said there are concerns that space might not be big enough.
Tropicana moving onto land also would provide room along Downtown Evansville’s Riverfront for a more prominent location for the LST 325, a World War II ship.
Dermody said it would be premature Tuesday to say when the proposal would receive a committee hearing.