House panel dilutes casino bill, restores funding

Associated Press

TOM LoBIANCO,Associated Press

Updated: Mar 20, 2013 1:18 PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana House committee has rewritten a gambling bill to keep table games out of Indiana's racetracks and restore money for counties that host casinos.

The House Public Policy Committee voted 10-3 Wednesday to approve the amended gambling bill. The panel narrowly approved an amendment to keep table games out of the two racetracks with slots owned by Centaur Holdings.

Centaur Chief Operating Officer Jim Brown argued it would only be a slight change to allow live dealers in place of the automated table games already in place. But Republican Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Davis said table games were never what the Legislature intended when it approved slots for the racetracks.

Several local officials successfully lobbied the panel to restore local aid they get from taxes paid by casinos.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Political Pulse

We welcome your thoughtful comments. Be the first to participate in the discussion. All comments will display your username and avatar.