Gambling Conditions in Indiana

For those of you that are considering taking a trip to gamble at the Indiana riverboats, I thought would let you know how gaming conditions are different in Indiana compared to some of the other gaming destinations you may be use to. I also want to state up front my knowledge is limited to primarily Caesar’s Indiana, Casino Aztar and the New French Lick Casino, but most of these comments will apply to all Indiana casinos.

No free Alcoholic Beverages
By state law the Casino’s aren’t allowed to offer free alcoholic beverages to patrons so expect to pay for your drinks. I suspect for some of you this will be a deal killer. The prohibition on free alcoholic drinks has been with us since riverboat gaming was first legalized in Indiana as one of the many concessions to gaming opponents. As time has gone on, a lot of these concessions/restrictions on gaming have been lifted, but this one has remained. I have heard it speculated that the state won’t lift this restriction because it doesn’t want to lose the tax revenue on the paid drinks. (Indiana has an excise tax on alcoholic beverages)

Kids Aren’t Permitted on the Casino Floor and the Hotels aren’t Kid Friendly
It seems like a no nonsense sort of thing, but Indiana’s restrictions are actually much stricter than Nevada’s or even Mississippi’s. In Both Nevada and Mississippi those under 21 are generally permitted to cross the casino floor to get to the restaurants, shops and room elevators. In Indiana they are not, and a natural result has been the buffets, most of the restaurants, most of the shops and the room elevators are located a good walking distance from the casino floor. The 3 Indiana riverboats I am most familiar with all have snack bars and or a café adjacent to their casino floors, but in all 3 cases the best dining, all of the shopping and the buffet are a good hike from the casino floor. Also, there are numerous restrictions on those under 18 even in non-gaming areas. Simply put they are not allowed in the non-gaming areas of the hotel/resort including the swimming pool without being accompanied by someone that is at least 18. So unless your kids enjoy being pinned up in a hotel room I suggest you leave them at home.

Expect a long Walk
When Riverboat gaming was first legalized in Indiana the boats were required to cruise and you could get on and off the boat only at set intervals. Thankfully, that restriction has been lifted, but because the boarding areas were designed to accommodate long lines waiting to board the boats at the start of a new session there is a long walk to get on the boats. The notable exception is the new French Lick casino which was built after the cruising requirement was lifted. At French Lick you basically walk directly onto the casino floor from the parking garage causeway.

There is long driving distance between Casinos
At least with the 3 Riverboats I mentioned above it is a long car ride to get to the next one and casino hopping isn’t very realistic. I am talking bare minimum an hour and a half to get to the next casino.

All of this may lead you to believe I am down on gambling in Indiana, but I am not. There are many great reasons to gamble in Indiana to name just a few: Caesar’s Indiana has one of the largest poker rooms in the country, The two historic hotels that were restored in the French Lick area as a result of that casino opening are truly a sight to behold, Southern Indiana is beautiful in the fall, people are generally speaking friendly, good video poker pay tables can be found at Caesars and overall gaming conditions represent a better value than the Las Vegas Strip. Indiana must be doing something right as it is tied for 3rd in gaming revenues with Mississippi despite having less than half the number of casinos of that state.