ANGOLA, IN (WTVB) – Steuben County voters decisively rejected a high-stakes casino referendum on Tuesday, dealing a major blow to a proposed $500 million resort-style gaming development in northeast Indiana.
Unofficial final election results showed 58.7% of voters casting “No” ballots on Public Question No. 3, defeating the measure with 6,234 no votes.
Authorized under Indiana’s House Bill 1038 earlier this year, the referendum would have granted the Indiana Gaming Commission permission to issue an inland casino license for the area. However, the proposal faced severe backlash from local groups who criticized gambling as a predatory enterprise, successfully countering arguments from economic leaders who claimed the resort would draw lucrative tourism from neighboring Michigan and Ohio.
Because the measure failed, the Indiana Gaming Commission is legally prohibited from awarding a license to developers in Steuben County.
Under state law, the rejection also triggers a permanent ban on holding future public casino referendums within the county unless lawmakers pass entirely new legislation. Similar casino referendums were also voted down by residents in Allen and DeKalb counties.
Comments