Evansville Indiana

The owner of Evansville's casino says it plans to move from its current riverboat docked along the Ohio River to a new $50 million on-shore facility.

The announcement Tuesday for the new Tropicana Evansville casino makes it the first to take advantage of a new state law allowing riverboat casinos to build new on-land casinos on property near their current locations.

Tropicana officials say the new 75,000 square-foot casino will be built between its existing hotels across the street from the current riverboat. Tropicana says it expects construction to start in early 2016 and take at least 18 months.

Indiana legislators approved this year allowing the riverboats to build on-land facilities as Indiana's casinos have seen big declines in business in recent years because of greater competition from neighboring states.

I dont really understand how moving the casino from the river to land somehow alleviates the problem with competition in neighboring states - but if they want to spend 40 million in our state i dont mind.

Wasn't Ind. one of the non-smoking states that lost all the mkt. share to neighboring states that allowed smoking? The possible reason for the big decline?

Nope. It's Illinois that is stupid, not Indiana.

The existing casino is small, cramped and outdated. It was the first riverboat that opened in Indiana, and it is a real boat (not a barge) with narrow stair cases, low ceilings and small restrooms. This particular casino actually has a good market because it draws from Northwestern Kentucky and there are no casinos in Kentucky or Tennessee to compete with it. In state, they have had a problem since the casino in French Lick opened several years ago. French Lick has always had a special exemption allowing the operation of a land based casino including table games.

not hardly. when I go to a casino in the state of Indiana, I feel like I am the only one not smoking. but of course I am probably smoking a carton or two second-hand. Indiana casinos were doing well until they opened several casinos in Ohio.

NP, just asking. Rememebr reading something about it.