The following are American jurisdictions having recent activity concerning legal gambling.
* – States and territories with gaming devices are marked with an asterisk: *
! – States with at least one casino (defined as having both banking card games and slot-like machines) are marked with an exclamation point: !
!* INDIANA – Legislative leaders may approve a voter referendum, over the opposition of Gov. Bob Taft, to let seven of Ohio’s horse racing tracks install video gaming machines. Earlier, the Senate Rules Committee killed a bill, approved by the House, which would have allowed riverboats to operate casinos while docked, and would also have authorized electronic pull-tab machines (slot machines which cash out with paper tickets) at Hoosier Park racetrack and its OTBs. Riverboat casinos opened in 1995, after the State Supreme Court held the law constitutional. The Legislature authorized 11, but the federal government will not allow a boat on Patoka Lake. The ten riverboat casinos took in $1.7 billion in 2000. Boats on the Ohio River can only move a few feet, for fear of trespassing into Kentucky. Riverboat admission charges help subsidize the state’s horse racing industry. The Pokagon band of Potawatomi Indians is trying to open a land-based casino in north-central Indiana, and Indiana Legislative Insight reports the Miami Indians have a “fairly low-key effort” to put a casino in western Indiana. A study released in 1999 found gambling, including the heavily-taxed casinos, are the state’s fifth largest source of revenue. The Senate voted to allow candidates to accept contributions from casino owners, but the House of Representatives killed it by a 2 to 1 vote.
!* IOWA – Slots are legal at one horse and two dog tracks, in three Indian casinos and on ten riverboat casinos — gambling is the state’s fourth largest source of income. Racinos pay a 30% tax, which is set to rise to 36%; riverboat casinos pay 20%. Gross gaming revenue is close to $1 billion a year. The Racing and Gaming Commission passed regulations which prohibited casinos from expanding, banned credit card cash advances and barred new licenses. Gov. Vilsack fired most of the Commissioners for going beyond the authority delegated them by the Legislature. But the Senate and House could not agree on what changes should be made, so the governor let the regulations stand. Suit was filed to keep the ATMs, and a court ruled the Commission had exceeded its authority. Rules are being promulgated to allow ATMs in non-gaming areas. The Senate killed a proposal for a five-year moratorium, which would have been like money from heaven for existing operators. Only the State Lottery, not charities, can sell pull-tabs.
!* KANSAS – A bill to allow VLTs at dog and horse tracks will be reintroduced, again. Tribes operate four casinos, under compacts, at White Cloud, Mayetta, Horton and Powhattan. Although the compacts were reported to exclude electronic gaming devices, tribal casinos have slots and video poker machines, as well as table games. The Casino Malaysia Delaware Tribe, forcibly removed to Oklahoma around 1868 but with no reservation, wants to move back to Lawrence and open a casino. In a highly questionable move, the U.S. Dept. of Interior approved a casino for the Miami Tribe, despite vocal opposition from Gov. Graves. The state has filed suit. Camptown Greyhound Park closed, again; but if slots for tracks is approved by the 2002 legislature, it may reopen. In Summer 2000, Greyhound Park in Wichita opened a drive-through betting window. The Legislature is expected to renew the State Lottery in 2001, which would otherwise expire in 2002.