Business

Lake County casinos generated $1.4B for local governments

Posted June 27, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

MUNSTER, Ind. (AP) - State records show that local governments in Lake County have collected nearly $1.4 billion in payments from four casinos in northwestern Indiana since 1996.

Payments to the local governments begin as soon as someone enters the gambling area of the casinos in Hammond, East Chicago and Gary. Each of the three cities, as well as Lake County, receives $1 from each admission tax payment. The South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority gets 9 cents and the Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy gets 1 cent.

The Times of Northwest Indiana (http://bit.ly/28YDzUO ) reports the money has been used for dozens of projects, including improvements to the Gary/Chicago airport, construction of a lake pavilion, flood control on the Little Calumet River, neighborhood revitalization, lake front parks in Whiting and Portage and public transit enhancements.

Some of the money is used to support the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, the Indiana State Fair and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction.

Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority CEO Bill Hanna estimates the $211 million invested by the agency in past decade using casino admission tax revenue has attracted $450 million in additional private and public investment, with a total economic impact of more than $1.1 billion.

"The projects have been very impactful, and you can see evidence of it," Hanna said. "I think the money has been used very wisely to reposition us for a different economic outlook."

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the casino payments have kept his city alive. McDermott said Hammond has been able to fully rebuild 65 percent of its 300 miles of streets and alleys in the past two decades.

The city has also used casino funds to provide college scholarships worth $10,500 a year under its College Bound program.

"Without gaming revenue, we would never even be able to dream about having a program like College Bound," McDermott said.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.thetimesonline.com

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