Indiana Casino Boats Plan Renovations

As reported by the Gary Post-Tribune: "Older, wiser and considerably wealthier 10 years after casino boat gambling came to Northwest Indiana, local operations are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on improvements to ensure continued profitability into their second decade and beyond.

"Rick Mazer, general manager at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, points to Indiana legislators' apparent long-term acceptance of casinos to explain why gaming operators feel comfortable footing the bills for expensive renovations to the properties along Lake Michigan.

"Horseshoe is in the midst of a $485 million upgrade, which will bring a new casino boat to Hammond, featuring 175,000 square feet of gambling space and a new entertainment and convention center of the same size.

"…Blue Chip Casino has just completed a $170 million expansion, floating a new casino boat at its site in Michigan City with 65,000 square feet of space for gambling, and an entertainment complex for shows and conventions nearly twice that size.

"With the Potawatomi Indian tribe erecting a casino in nearby New Buffalo, Mich., Blue Chip will soon find itself in a vastly more competitive market.

"…Now that Don Barden, owner of Majestic Star I and II in Gary, has control of both properties he says he's able to go ahead with a large-scale physical improvement program over next five years.

"…Similar changes could be in store for East Chicago as well…"

2006-06-12