SB 70 changesRiverboat relocation.

What changed

+197 / −186 words · LargeConfidence: high

This legislation authorizes the relocation of a riverboat gaming license from Ohio County to Fort Wayne or Allen County, establishing substantial conditions for such a move. The bill imposes a $50 million upfront fee for license transfers and requires completion of a $500 million investment in casino and non-gaming amenities within 10 years of relocation approval. It restructures gaming tax distributions by allocating fixed percentages to various recipients: one-third each to the host city and county, with smaller portions to tourism bureaus (3.33%), the state fair commission (5%), mental health and addiction services (3.33%), and the state general fund (21.667%). The bill includes a delayed July 1, 2026 effective date for distribution provisions, requires Allen County commissioner approval for relocations to unincorporated areas, and terminates existing Ohio County entities' distributions after the riverboat ceases operations there. The changes effectively create a comprehensive framework for riverboat relocation while ensuring state and local revenue replacement and imposing significant financial obligations on license holders.

Change log

• SECTION 9 > (iii)

  removedmedium confidence

  Terre Haute removed from list

  The reference to Terre Haute has been deleted from this subsection. This removal appears to eliminate Terre Haute from whatever list or set of locations was being enumerated in this provision. Without additional context about the surrounding sections, this represents a straightforward deletion of a single geographic location.

• SECTION 9 > (l)

  removedhigh confidence

  Elimination of provision diverting South Bend wagering tax revenue to state general fund

  The provision that redirected South Bend's share of wagering taxes to the state general fund after June 30, 2021, is eliminated. This removal means South Bend would no longer have its wagering tax distributions withheld and redirected to the state. The change restores South Bend's eligibility to receive wagering tax distributions under the standard distribution formula.

• SECTION 5 > (1)

  addedhigh confidence

  New $50 million fee required before riverboat license sale or transfer approval

  This new provision requires a licensed owner to pay a fee of fifty million dollars before the commission may approve any sale or transfer of the license. The payment must be deposited in the state general fund. This fee applies as a precondition to commission approval of license transfers.

• SECTION 10 > (3)

  addedhigh confidence