Study Looks at Indiana Casinos

Study Looks at Indiana Casinos

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Indiana’s 10 casino boats generate millions of dollars in tax revenue and thousands of jobs.

That’s the good news, according to a study commissioned by the Indiana General Assembly.

The bad news is an increase in crime, bankruptcies and the number of problem gamblers.

The study says casinos generated $750 million in tax revenue in a year, but resulted in $52 million in crime costs.

John Wolf is with the Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.

“We know that the expansion little by little is going to turn Northwest Indiana into another Las Vegas,” Wolf says. “Northwest Indiana will be the Las Vegas of the Midwest.”

Casino operators are criticizing the study.

They say the seven-month research period was too short, and data focused on national, rather than local crime statistics.