Interest Growing Among Indiana Cities for Rising Sun Casino
Will the Indiana gaming license awarded to the Rising Star Casino Resort be reallocated, and if so, which community will get the first chance for the coveted permit? That is the question currently being considered as the Indiana General Assembly is considering the latest bill to hit the books: Senate Bill 244.
Sponsored by Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis), SB 244 was introduced on Jan. 8 and has already had a first reading before being referred to the Senate Committee on Public Policy on the same day.
This would allow the owner of the property – Full House Resorts (FHR) – to move the Rising Star gaming license, currently located in Rising Sun, to Marion County (downtown Indianapolis) for a proposed $750 million casino development. Several conditions would have to be met including investment requirements, paying a year’s worth of tax revenues to Rising Sun/Ohio County, and obtaining a letter of support from the mayor of Rising Sun, Steve Slack.
The bill was spurred on by a recent 36-page study conducted by Spectrum Gaming Group to the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) on Sept. 30, 2025 indicating that Indianapolis would be a lucrative site to have, despite the impact on nearby casinos in Shelbyville and Anderson, Indiana.
The casino’s history dates back to 1996, and it was the first of three riverboat casinos in southeastern Indiana to open. Full House took over the property in 2011, but the casino has had consistent financial struggles. According to figures from the Indiana Gaming Commission, it generates the least revenue of the state’s 13 operating casinos.
FHR is exploring all options to move the gaming license and has designs on a new state-of-the-art casino with a hotel and restaurants that will be created over two phases of development once the new site has been chosen and plans can be implemented.
The current Indiana General Assembly session will conclude at the end of February or mid-March.
Two Bills Would Open Door For Fort Wayne Casino
Other bills that are still being considered from last year include:
SB 70: License would be located to Allen County/Fort Wayne, Indiana with a $25 million relocation fee back to the state, a $500 million minimum investment, and collaborative requirements on redeveloping the Rising Sun site.
The bill was reassigned to the senate’s Committee on Appropriations back on Dec. 10, 2025 and will be considered by the full Senate sometime this session.
HB 1038: This would add an 11th casino license in Allen County, not relocating the existing license, but with a $50 million fee. After a first reading, the bill was reassigned to the senate’s Committee on Public Policy back on Dec. 1, 2025.
Fort Wayne is Indiana’s second-largest city, but the northeastern part of the state is not home to a casino. The closest is Harrah’s Hoosier Park, located in Anderson, a 90-minute drive south.
Richmond, Indiana (Wayne County) is also another potential relocation site. The chamber of commerce in that community, located between Indianapolis and Dayton, Ohio, has launched an awareness campaign to generate civic support for a casino.
Meanwhile, officials in Steuben County, located directly north of Fort Wayne, held a community conversation this past weekend where some lawmakers voiced support for putting the casino there. Steuben County has a population of roughly 35,000, less than a tenth of Allen County, but the Indiana Turnpike and Interstate 69 intersect there, which is why some county leaders believe it would be an ideal location.
The casino isn’t the only gaming issue before Hoosier lawmakers in this session. The General Assembly will also consider legislation that would allow online lottery games, while another measure would ban sweepstakes gaming.
About Rising Star
Currently, the casino has 40,000 square feet of gaming space (944 slot and video poker machines, 25 table games). The property, which sits on over 300 acres, includes two hotels (294 rooms total), a pool, meeting space and a pavilion with five food and beverage outlets.
There is also a multi-purpose Grand Theater for concerts, meetings and conventions; an 18-hole Scottish links golf course with a clubhouse and is conveniently located within driving distance of four cities: Indianapolis, Indiana; Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio.
However, it is the middle of three Indiana casinos between Cincinnati and Louisville, and as a result, it by far generates the least amount of tax revenue for the state. According to data from the IGC, the Rising Star generated just $1.3 million of the $283.5 million in gaming taxes the state’s casinos raised during 2025.
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