By Scott L. Miley
SHELBYVILLE —- Indiana’s second land casino debuted for a test run Friday, with dignitaries demonstrating no hesitation in comparing their temporary facility to the Hoosier Park Casino, which opened four days earlier in Anderson.
“Though it is a temporary facility, it is as nice, if not nicer than any permanent facility throughout the United States and it’s only the beginning,” said Joseph Weinberg, principal of The Cordish Co. which oversees gaming projects.
He spoke outdoors to about 250 people, including VIPs and customers, invited to the test run. Also on hand was Miss Indiana USA Brittany Mason, who is from Anderson.
If Friday’s run is considered successful by the Indiana Gaming Commission, the facility is expected to open at noon Monday.
Inside the casino, slot machines were lit, employees handed out complimentary hors d’oevres, a violinist played in the aisles and a silver-painted angel and accompanying aviator posed for pictures.
Within the first 30 minutes, slots player Bob Humbles was up $200, not quite near the $500 he won during the first day at Hoosier Park. Humbles, a retired Ford Motor Co. employee from Greenfield, had visited both casinos.
“I made $500 up there and brought it down here to see if I could lose it,” he said. “I don’t just like winning money; I like to play slots.”
He said he favored Indiana Live! It’s closer to his home, and he also liked the floor plan of the casino; the aisles and machines are more in lines with overhead signs marking the value of play, whether it’s 1-cent or higher.
“As far as layout and everything, I like this a lot better,” Humbles said.
An Indianapolis couple, Lewis and Stella Jones, preferred Indiana Live!, even in its temporary state, to other casinos they’ve visited.
“It’s easy to find where to play quarters or dimes. It’s just really laid out pretty good,” said Stella Jones.
Officials at Indiana Live! aren’t playing off perceived competition with Anderson about 40 miles away. A handful of Indiana Live! executives had visited Hoosier Park after its opening Monday.
Ross Mangano, chairman of the board for Indiana Downs, called the Anderson casino “nice.” Dennis Gomes, CEO of gaming for The Cordish Co., deemed Hoosier Park’s track improvements as “a fantastic job.”
Mostly, Indiana Live! officials say there’s enough business to share in a 1.6-million population market to keep both casinos in operation.
Indiana Live! Casino is currently in a domed Quonset-type structure with a rectangular floor plan. The building is not far from the backstretch of the Indiana Downs horse track at the Interstate 74 interchange at Fairland.
The casino was built in 113 days and is inside a temporary, inflatable-looking structure usually reserved for indoor soccer or ice hockey.
In fact, there is a puck in the facility. Wolfgang Puck. The popular chef has a prominent deli-style restaurant, Cafe Live!, at one end of the casino, open 24 hours a day.
The permanent casino is under construction next to the horse race track and is to be a 233,000 square feet, twice the size of Hoosier Park. The permanent casino is set to open this spring.
Indiana Downs has put nearly $250 million including construction and payroll into the facilities — again more than twice the more than $100 million Hoosier Park spent renovating its horse racing facility and adding a casino.
Friday’s test run was held to satisfy the Indiana Gaming Commission, which had staffers watching the operation to see how Indiana Live! monitored.
“We’ll be meeting with them in the next two days to determine how well they are able to perform, and if they pass as well as Anderson did, they’ll get the green light,” said Ernest Yelton, executive director of the Indiana Gaming Commission.
Unlike Hoosier Park, there are no electronic gaming tables, where multiple customers can play against a dealer, at Indiana Live!
Recently some northeast Indiana legislators said they did not know that the gaming tables were considered slot machines under Indiana law. Yelton clarified that gaming tables were not excluded from the legislation that allowed land-based casinos and those tables are permitted at Hoosier Park and Indiana Live!
Of Hoosier Park, he noted that some of the machines — particularly an electronic gaming table — are not yet in operation but said they should be soon.
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Casino: Hoosier Park or Indiana Live!
Hoosier Park Racing & Casino
Location: 4500 Dan Patch Circle, Anderson; near exit 26 from the I-65 interchange at Scatterfield.
Owner: Centaur Gaming
Currently open 24 hours a day, 365 days a week.
Slots: 1,934. Electronic table games: 66
Restaurants: Nine, including Johnny Rockets, Starbucks, New York style deli, premier steakhouse, buffet.
Entertainment: Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, June 20; Davy Jones of The Monkees, July 4, and Aretha Franklin, Sept. 20.
More details on these events will be posted on Hoosier Park’s Web site, www.hoosierpark.com.
Estimated new jobs: 550
Taxes generated: $80 million annually of which $8 million collected by local government.
Indiana Live! Casino
Location: Fairland exit at I-74 or 40 miles south of Anderson on Ind. 9.
Owner: Indianapolis Downs LLC
Opens noon Monday, pending Indiana Gaming Commission approval. Then 24 hours a day, 365 days a week. Permanent casino opens in spring, 2009.
Slots: 1,900.
Entertainment: Blood Sweat and Tears, June 12; Kenny Loggins, June 13; Vertical Horizon and The Calling, June 14; and Phil Vassar with Jeremy McComb, June 15.
Restaurants: Wolfgang Puck’s Cafe Live!; bar area. Future restaurants at permanent casino include NASCAR Sports Grille, Makers Mark Steakhouse and Live! Market with food in a fresh market atmosphere.
Estimated new jobs: 570
Taxes generated: $112 million in first year from gaming revenues, of which $70 million go to property tax reducation and $6.7 million goes to Shelby County.
