On Thursday, the Indiana Gaming Commission amended one of its orders by permitting Caesars Entertainment to keep six properties in the state.  

The locations include three off-track betting sites, as well as the Horseshoe Hammond, Indiana Grand and Harrah’s Hoosier Park.  

Originally, the Commission had ruled that Caesars Entertainment should sell a third of its casino assets in Indiana.  

According to The Times of Northwest Indiana, Ceasars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg and Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr sent letters to the Commission, asking them to reconsider the sale of Horsehoe.  

The pair felt keeping the property at the location would be in the state's best interest, since in May the Hard Rock Casino opened up in Northern Indiana.  

The Mayor described the Horseshoe venue as a “superior product” that has a “nationally known and recognisable name.” 

The property brings in visitors from both Northwest Indiana and across the state line.  

McDermott said: "With a Chicago licence and a south suburban licence location in the process of being finalised in Illinois over the next several months or years at most, now it is even more important to shore up the competitive advantage we have at our gaming location in Hammond; which as you know, sits a mere stone's throw from the Chicago border." 

Reeg added: “We are confident our continued operating of Horseshoe Hammond is in the best interest of our team members, guests, the Hammond community and the State of Indiana. 

"We believe maintaining our strong customer and employee relationships at Horseshoe Hammond makes the property best positioned for a strong and exciting future." 

While the group will keep assets in Indiana, it also announced it has closed the sale of Tropicana Evansville – and expects to close the sale of Caesars Southern Indiana in Q3 2021.