Rising Star Casino sits on the Ohio River in the town of Rising Sun. Now, lawmakers are openly debating whether the license behind it should stay there at all. The Indiana House has backed a bill that would let the state relocate its lowest-performing casino license, setting up a bidding fight that could redraw the map of where Indiana’s gaming growth lands next.
The measure heads to the Senate with a clear signal: this is no longer a theoretical conversation about “a casino near Fort Wayne.” It is a structured process with money, deadlines, and political sign-offs built in.
A competitive bid, not a quiet transfer
House Bill 1038 would direct the Indiana Gaming Commission to run a competitive selection process for a new host site and operator, rather than simply approving a one-to-one move. Local government support would be required, including formal approval from the host community’s mayor and county commissioners.
Lawmakers also widened the list of eligible counties. The current version gives four counties a shot at landing the license: Allen County (Fort Wayne), plus DeKalb and Steuben in northeast Indiana, and Wayne County in east-central Indiana.
A $500 million build requirement sets the bar
The bill tries to screen out “small” proposals by requiring at least $500 million in development within five years, including non-gaming amenities meant to make the project feel like a destination build, not just a gaming floor.
It also creates two major payments. The winning operator would pay a $50 million relocation fee to the state, and a separate $30 million package would go to Rising Sun and Ohio County as mitigation for losing the casino.
Rising Sun backfill is the political hinge
That compensation is central because Rising Star’s host community relies on casino-linked activity and local revenue. Without a backfill, the bill reads like a straight transfer of opportunity from one region to another.
Next comes the Senate. If senators keep the competitive-bid structure intact, the real decision point moves to the Gaming Commission’s timeline and which county can assemble the strongest mix of local support, investment, and market logic.
