- Is Gambling Illegal In Indiana
- Is Gambling Illegal In Indiana Counties
- Is Online Gambling Illegal In Indiana
- Is Gambling Illegal In Indiana Bmv
Online gambling in Indiana is frowned upon by the state, yet they do not state in their gambling laws that it is illegal. Indiana residents who wish to gamble online can view our list of online gambling sites that allow Indiana players. The sites we list are safe, secure, and licensed by the jurisdiction they are located in. These sites are also regulated by independent third parties, not by the state of Indiana. We always inform residents of the most recent gambling laws and we do state that we are not lawyers. If you’re unsure about the laws below, we suggest you speak with a licensed attorney about state gambling laws prior to gambling online.
Indiana gambling laws and policies are quite liberal in this regulated industry. There is still plenty of illegal gambling. Anything related to gambling in Indiana is regulated by the Indiana Gaming Commission. They are in charge of monitoring all casinos and racetracks, granting gambling licenses, and making sure all players are protected. Plenty of illegal gambling is still found in the state. For casino players, the minimum age required in Indiana is 21. For other forms of legal gambling in the state, the minimum age is 18. Charities that wish to offer gambling services need to register first by and get proper licensing to do so. Indiana Gambling Laws Certain types of gambling are illegal and prosecuted under each state's gaming statutes. However, many states have recently relaxed their gambling laws and permitted casinos and other gaming venues such as card rooms. The State of Indiana actually expounds upon the federal laws with regards to gambling and goes to the lengths to both define and criminalize gambling. That’s the bad news. Indiana Code chapter 35-45-5-1 section one, heading d defines gambling as “risking money or other property for gain, contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance.”.
Indiana Gambling Laws
Chapter 5. Gambling
Section IC 35-45-5-1
Definitions –
Sec. 1.
(a) The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(b) “Electronic gaming device” means any electromechanical device, electrical device, or machine that satisfies at least one.
(1) of the following requirements:
(1) It is a contrivance which for consideration affords the player an opportunity to obtain money or other items of value, the award of which is determined by chance even if accomplished by some skill, whether or not the prize is automatically paid by the contrivance.
(2) It is a slot machine or any simulation or variation of a slot machine.
(3) It is a matchup or lineup game machine or device operated for consideration, in which two (2) or more numerals, symbols, letters, or icons align in a winning combination on one (1) or more lines vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or otherwise, without assistance by the player. The use of a skill stop is not considered assistance by the player.
(4) It is a video game machine or device operated for consideration to play poker, blackjack, any other card game, keno, or any simulation or variation of these games, including any game in which numerals, numbers, pictures, representations, or symbols are used as an equivalent or substitute for the cards used in these games. The term does not include a toy crane machine or any other device played for amusement that rewards a player exclusively with a toy, a novelty, candy, other noncash merchandise, or a ticket or coupon redeemable for a toy, a novelty, or other noncash merchandise that has a wholesale value of not more than the lesser of ten (10) times the amount charged to play the amusement device one (1) time or twenty-five dollars ($25).
(c) “Gain” means the direct realization of winnings.
(d) “Gambling” means risking money or other property for gain, contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, or the operation of a gambling device, but it does not include participating in:
(1) bona fide contests of skill, speed, strength, or endurance in which awards are made only to entrants or the owners of entries; or
(2) bona fide business transactions that are valid under the law of contracts.
(e) “Gambling device” means:
(1) a mechanism by the operation of which a right to money or other property may be credited, in return for consideration, as the result of the operation of an element of chance;
(2) a mechanism that, when operated for a consideration, does not return the same value or property for the same consideration upon each operation;
(3) a mechanism, furniture, fixture, construction, or installation designed primarily for use in connection with professional gambling;
(4) a policy ticket or wheel; or
(5) a subassembly or essential part designed or intended for use in connection with such a device, mechanism, furniture, fixture, construction, or installation. In the application of this definition, an immediate and unrecorded right to replay mechanically conferred on players of pinball machines and similar amusement devices is presumed to be without value.
(f) “Gambling information” means:
(1) a communication with respect to a wager made in the course of professional gambling; or
(2) information intended to be used for professional gambling.
(g) “Interactive computer service” means an Internet service, an information service, a system, or an access software provider that provides or enables computer access to a computer served by multiple users. The term includes the following:
(1) A service or system that provides access or is an intermediary to the Internet.
(2) A system operated or services offered by a library, school, state educational institution, or private postsecondary educational institution.
(h) “Operator” means a person who owns, maintains, or operates an Internet site that is used for interactive gambling.
(i) “Profit” means a realized or unrealized benefit (other than a gain) and includes benefits from proprietorship or management and unequal advantage in a series of transactions.
(j) “Tournament” means a contest in which:
(1) the consideration to enter the contest may take the form of a separate entry fee or the deposit of the required consideration to play in any manner accepted by the:
(A) video golf machine; or
(B) pinball machine or similar amusement device described in subsection (m)(2); on which the entrant will compete;
(2) each player’s score is recorded; and
(3) the contest winner and other prize winners are determined by objectively comparing the recorded scores of the competing players.
(k) “Toy crane machine” means a device that is used to lift prizes from an enclosed space by manipulating a mechanical claw.
(l) For purposes of this chapter:
Is Gambling Illegal In Indiana
(1) a card game; or
(2) an electronic version of a card game; is a game of chance and may not be considered a bona fide contest of skill.
(m) In the application of the definition of gambling set forth in subsection (d), the payment of consideration to participate in a tournament conducted on:
(1) video golf games; or
(2) pinball machines and similar amusement devices that award no prizes other than to mechanically confer an immediate and unrecorded right to replay on players that is presumed to be without value under this section; is not considered gambling even if the value of a prize awarded in the course of the tournament exceeds the amount of the player’s consideration.
As added by Acts 1976, P.L.148, SEC.5. Amended by Acts 1977, P.L.340, SEC.80; P.L.70-2005, SEC.2; P.L.2-2007, SEC.377; P.L.227-2007, SEC.64; P.L.3-2008, SEC.252.
Section IC 35-45-5-2
Unlawful gambling –
Sec. 2.
(a) A person who knowingly or intentionally engages in gambling commits unlawful gambling.
(b) Except as provided in subsection
(c), unlawful gambling is a Class B misdemeanor.
(d) An operator who knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to engage in unlawful gambling:
(1) in Indiana; or
(2) with a person located in Indiana; commits a Class D felony.
As added by Acts 1976, P.L.148, SEC.5. Amended by Acts 1977, P.L.340, SEC.81; P.L.70-2005, SEC.3.
Section IC 35-45-5-3
Professional gambling; professional gambling over the Internet –
Sec. 3
(a) A person who knowingly or intentionally:
(1) engages in pool-selling;
(2) engages in bookmaking;
(3) maintains, in a place accessible to the public, slot machines, one-ball machines or variants thereof, pinball machines that award anything other than an immediate and unrecorded right of replay, roulette wheels, dice tables, or money or merchandise pushcards, punchboards, jars, or spindles;
(4) conducts lotteries or policy or numbers games or sells chances therein;
(5) conducts any banking or percentage games played with cards, dice, or counters, or accepts any fixed share of the stakes therein; or
(6) accepts, or offers to accept, for profit, money, or other property risked in gambling; commits professional gambling, a Class D felony. However, the offense is a Class C felony if the person has a prior unrelated conviction under this subsection.
(b) An operator who knowingly or intentionally uses the Internet to:
(1) engage in pool-selling:
(A) in Indiana; or
(B) in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana;
(2) engage in bookmaking:
(A) in Indiana; or
(B) in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana;
(3) maintain, on an Internet site accessible to residents of Indiana, the equivalent of:
(A) slot machines;
(B) one-ball machines or variants of one-ball machines;
(C) pinball machines that award anything other than an immediate and unrecorded right of replay;
(D) roulette wheels;
(E) dice tables; or
(F) money or merchandise pushcards, punchboards, jars, or spindles;
(4) conduct lotteries or policy or numbers games or sell chances in lotteries or policy or numbers games:
(A) in Indiana; or
(B) in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana;
(5) conduct any banking or percentage games played with the computer equivalent of cards, dice, or counters, or accept any fixed share of the stakes in those games:
(A) in Indiana; or
(B) in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana; or
(6) accept, or offer to accept, for profit, money or other property risked in gambling:
(A) in Indiana; or
(B) in a transaction directly involving a person located in Indiana; commits professional gambling over the Internet, a Class D felony.
As added by Acts 1976, P.L.148, SEC.5. Amended by Acts 1977, P.L.340, SEC.82; P.L.70-2005, SEC.4; P.L.227-2007, SEC.65.
Section IC 35-45-5-3.5
Possession of electronic gaming device; maintaining a professional gambling site; exception for antique slot machines possessed for decorative, historic, or nostalgic purposes –
Sec. 3.5.
(a) Except as provided in subsection
(c), a person who possesses an electronic gaming device commits a Class A infraction.
(b) A person who knowingly or intentionally accepts or offers to accept for profit, money, or other property risked in gambling on an electronic gaming device possessed by the person commits maintaining a professional gambling site, a Class D felony. However, the offense is a Class C felony if the person has a prior unrelated conviction under this subsection.
(c) Subsection
(a) does not apply to a person who:
(1) possesses an antique slot machine;
(2) restricts display and use of the antique slot machine to the person’s private residence; and
(3) does not use the antique slot machine for profit.
(d) As used in this section, “antique slot machine” refers to a slot machine that is:
(1) at least forty (40) years old; and
(2) possessed and used for decorative, historic, or nostalgic purposes.
As added by P.L.227-2007, SEC.66.
Section IC 35-45-5-4
Promoting professional gambling; acts constituting; boat manufacturers; public utilities –
Sec. 4.
(a) Except as provided in subsections
(b) and
(c), a person who:
(1) knowingly or intentionally owns, manufactures, possesses, buys, sells, rents, leases, repairs, or transports a gambling device, or offers or solicits an interest in a gambling device;
(2) before a race, game, contest, or event on which gambling may be conducted, knowingly or intentionally transmits or receives gambling information by any means, or knowingly or intentionally installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information; or
(3) having control over the use of a place, knowingly or intentionally permits another person to use the place for professional gambling;
(a) commits promoting professional gambling, a Class D felony. However, the offense is a Class C felony if the person has a prior unrelated conviction under this section.
(b) Subsection
(a)(1) does not apply to a boat manufacturer who:
(1) transports or possesses a gambling device solely for the purpose of installing that device in a boat that is to be sold and transported to a buyer; and
(2) does not display the gambling device to the general public or make the device available for use in Indiana.
(c) When a public utility is notified by a law enforcement agency acting within its jurisdiction that any service, facility, or equipment furnished by it is being used or will be used to violate this section, it shall discontinue or refuse to furnish that service, facility, or equipment, and no damages, penalty, or forfeiture, civil or criminal, may be found against a public utility for an act done in compliance with such a notice. This subsection does not prejudice the right of a person affected by it to secure an appropriate determination, as otherwise provided by law, that the service, facility, or equipment should not be discontinued or refused, or should be restored.
(d) Subsection
(a)(1) does not apply to a person who:
(1) possesses an antique slot machine;
(2) restricts display and use of the antique slot machine to the person’s private residence; and
(3) does not use the antique slot machine for profit.
(e) As used in this section, “antique slot machine” refers to a slot machine that is:
(1) at least forty (40) years old; and
(2) possessed and used for decorative, historic, or nostalgic purposes.
As added by Acts 1976, P.L.148, SEC.5. Amended by Acts 1977, P.L.340, SEC.83; P.L.164-1990, SEC.1; P.L.20-1995, SEC.19; P.L.227-2007, SEC.67.
Section IC 35-45-5-4.5
Notice of illegal gambling to operator –
Sec. 4.5
(a) A prosecuting attorney may send written notice to an operator described in section 2(c) or 3(b) of this chapter. The notice must:
(1) specify the illegal gambling activity;
(2) state that the operator has not more than thirty (30) days after the date the notice is received to remove the illegal gambling activity; and
(3) state that failure to remove the illegal gambling activity not more than thirty (30) days after receiving the notice may result in the filing of criminal charges against the operator. A prosecuting attorney who sends a notice under this section shall forward a copy of the notice to the attorney general. The attorney general shall maintain a depository to collect, maintain, and retain each notice sent under this section.
(b) The manner of service of a notice under subsection (a) must be:
(1) in compliance with Rule 4.1, 4.4, 4.6, or 4.7 of the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure; or
(2) by publication in compliance with Rule 4.13 of the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure if service cannot be made under subdivision
(1) after a diligent search for the operator.
(c) A notice served under subsection
(a):(1) is admissible in a criminal proceeding under this chapter; and
(2) constitutes prima facie evidence that the operator had knowledge that illegal gambling was occurring on the operator’s Internet site.
(d) A person outside Indiana who transmits information on a computer network (as defined in IC 35-43-2-3) and who knows or should know that the information is broadcast in Indiana submits to the jurisdiction of Indiana courts for prosecution under this section.
As added by P.L.70-2005, SEC.5.
Section IC 35-45-5-4.6
Blocking certain electronic mail messages –
Sec. 4.6.
(a) An interactive computer service may, on its own initiative, block the receipt or transmission through its service of any commercial electronic mail message that it reasonably believes is or will be sent in violation of this chapter.
(b) An interactive computer service is not liable for such action. As added by P.L.70-2005, SEC.6.
Section IC 35-45-5-4.7
Right of action by interactive computer service; defenses; remedies –
Sec. 4.7
(a) An interactive computer service that handles or retransmits a commercial electronic mail message has a right of action against a person who initiates or assists the transmission of the commercial electronic mail message that violates this chapter.
(b) This chapter does not provide a right of action against:
(1) an interactive computer service;
(2) a telephone company;
(3) a CMRS provider (as defined in IC 36-8-16.5-6);
(4) a cable operator (as defined in 47 U.S.C. 522(5)); or
(5) any other entity that primarily provides connectivity to an operator; if the entity’s equipment is used only to transport, handle, or retransmit information that violates this chapter and is not capable of blocking the retransmission of information that violates this chapter.
(c) It is a defense to an action under this section if the defendant shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the violation of this chapter resulted from a good faith error and occurred notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adopted to avoid violating this chapter.
(d) If the plaintiff prevails in an action filed under this section, the plaintiff is entitled to the following:
(1) An injunction to enjoin future violations of this chapter.
(2) Compensatory damages equal to any actual damage proven by the plaintiff to have resulted from the initiation of the commercial electronic mail message. If the plaintiff does not prove actual damage, the plaintiff is entitled to presumptive damages of five hundred dollars ($500) for each commercial electronic mail message that violates this chapter and that is sent by the defendant:
(A) to the plaintiff; or
(B) through the plaintiff’s interactive computer service.
(3) The plaintiff’s reasonable attorney’s fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred in connection with the action.
(e) A person outside Indiana who:
(1) initiates or assists the transmission of a commercial electronic mail message that violates this chapter; and
(2) knows or should know that the commercial electronic mail message will be received in Indiana; submits to the jurisdiction of Indiana courts for purposes of this chapter.
As added by P.L.70-2005, SEC.7. Amended by P.L.27-2006, SEC.60.
Section IC 35-45-5-5
Pari-mutuel wagering; application of chapter
Sec. 5.
The provisions of this chapter do not apply to pari-mutuel wagering conducted at racetrack locations or satellite facilities licensed for pari-mutuel wagering under IC 4-31.
As added by Acts 1977, P.L.47, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.341-1989(ss), SEC.13; P.L.24-1992, SEC.61.
Section IC 35-45-5-6
Sale of lottery tickets; application of chapter –
Sec. 6. This chapter does not apply to the sale of lottery tickets authorized by IC 4-30. As added by P.L.341-1989(ss), SEC.14.
Section IC 35-45-5-7
Is Gambling Illegal In Indiana Counties
Advertisements; wagering; application of chapter –
Sec. 7
This chapter does not apply to the publication or broadcast of an advertisement, a list of prizes, or other information concerning:
(1) pari-mutuel wagering on horse races or a lottery authorized by the law of any state;
(2) a game of chance operated in accordance with IC 4-32.2; or
(3) a gambling game operated in accordance with IC 4-35.
As added by P.L.217-1991, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.91-2006, SEC.13; P.L.233-2007, SEC.33.
Section IC 35-45-5-8
Sale and use of gambling devices; application of chapter
Sec. 8. This chapter does not apply to the sale or use of gambling devices authorized under IC 4-32.2.
As added by P.L.24-1992, SEC.62. Amended by P.L.91-2006, SEC.14.
Section IC 35-45-5-10
Riverboat gambling –
Sec. 10. This chapter does not apply to riverboat gambling authorized by IC 4-33.
As added by P.L.277-1993(ss), SEC.132.
Section IC 35-45-5-11
Slot machines at racetracks
Sec. 11. This chapter does not apply to a gambling game authorized by IC 4-35.
As added by P.L.233-2007, SEC.34.
Section IC 35-45-5-12
Authorized gaming in taverns –
Sec. 12.
This chapter does not apply to the following gambling games licensed or authorized under IC 4-36:
Sources:
Gamblers in Indiana are not without legal options when it comes to playing their favorite games of chance and skill, but as a conservative state in the midst of the nation's heartland, they are strictly limited to those games that have received the official nod of state legislators in Indianapolis. Indeed, the Hoosier State is one of the few jurisdictions to apply the law equally to those operating illegal gaming options along with the players who frequent such establishments.
For those willing to play within the law however, there are plenty of outlets in which to scratch that gambling itch from riverboat casinos to pari-mutuel betting to participating in the state lottery. Let's examine the gambling laws in the Hoosier State, followed by the legalities of those laws regarding poker, and finally look to the future regarding whether the state will move towards the regulation of real-money poker.
Indiana Gambling Laws
While Indiana put the brakes on most forms of gambling for more than two-thirds of the 20th-century, the hunger of Hoosiers for gaming opportunities materialized in the 1980s with the introduction of the state lottery. Immediately popular, the floodgates opened on a variety of gambling including casino and pari-mutuel betting on horse races.
As of 2017, here is a brief rundown where gamblers legally stand when gaming in Indiana:
Casino Games— Indiana has authorized the establishment of riverboat casinos that offer an array of table games and thousands of slot machine-style games. While originally mandated to be on the move when game play was in action, these riverboat casinos can now operate while moored to the dock.
Is Online Gambling Illegal In Indiana
Sports Betting— Indiana is a huge sports loving state, but residents in the Hoosier State are limited to placing pari-mutuel wagering at licensed horse racing tracks throughout the state. Additionally, players can also avail themselves of electronic gaming machines that are available on site.
Lottery Betting— Indiana offers lottery play for its residents that include a range of gaming options from instant scratch off games to participation in inter-state games such as the Powerball where players can compete for tens of millions of dollars in winnings.
Bingo Games—are allowed for charitable fundraising purposes in the Indiana, which have to be individually licensed to be considered legal.
Live Poker—is enjoyed in the poker rooms of riverboat casinos, which also host tournaments boasting huge purses for the most talented players. Unlike many states however, Indiana does not condone social poker games where organizers are at risk of incurring severe legal repercussions if caught, and players are subject to misdemeanor charges.
Online Casinos and Poker— while willing to condone gambling activities when conducted locally, Indiana has adopted a hard stance against online casino and poker play. Indeed, the state, along with Washington and Utah, have outright banned gambling online although several offshore poker sites continue to offer Indiana denizens a place to play poker on the internet.
In general, two distinctive features set Indiana's legal code, which sets it apart from other state jurisdictions. First, the legal statutes make no distinction between games of chance and games of skill, which is often the distinction that allows room for legalized poker games. Secondly, the law specifically singles out the internet as verboten when it comes to playing a host of traditional gambling games ranging from slots to table game style play.
Indiana Online Poker Laws
As mentioned, Indiana went out of their way to ban online poker play, and in fact targeted the entire internet as forbidden territory when it comes to playing online poker or casino-style games. To begin with, Indiana's gambling laws are so broad as to probably include poker play, and its inclusion of the term 'gambling device' further expands the definition as it applies to online game play.
According to the Indiana legal code, unlawful gambling is defined as, 'knowingly or intentionally engaging in gambling that is not explicitly regulated by the state.' Further, the state's regulatory power takes aim at the operators of online sites with felony charges for violations.
Under the law, Section 35-45-5-3 states that it illegal to operate online casino, sports books, and poker. The law further criminalizes the processing of any type of payments to these online poker sites. Again, the language take aims at the operators of such sites, and casual players do not face prosecution.
That being said however, Indiana poker players could easily find an offshore-based online poker site that will willingly open an account for Hoosier State denizens. Existing in the legal grey area that is the jurisdictional reality of the internet, poker players in Indiana can access U.S.-facing sites for real money play from Indianapolis to Terra Haute and all points in between.
Is it Legal to Play Poker in Indiana?
Under the right circumstances, poker is most assuredly legal to play in Indiana. The watershed year for Hoosiers, who are also poker aficionados was 1993, and passage of a measure that allowed for the licensing of up to five riverboat casinos throughout the state. initially mandated to be on the move when gambling was underway, the state has since determined that these casinos can operate while permanently moored to the dock.
For a full array of gaming and gambling opportunities, these facilities offer table games and slot machines aplenty. In addition to table games like poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and more, each of these sprawling facilitates houses thousands of video gaming machines from slot machines to video poker. Dotting the Lake Michigan shoreline and along the Ohio River, Indiana residents have a myriad of options when it comes to playing competitive, real-money poker.
In fact, the state moved further with a 2011 legislative measure granting the building of a single land-based casino, which resulted in an additional 38,000-square-foot of gaming space at the 3,000-acre French Lick Resort Casino. For the professional gambler, these outlets sponsor tournament level play with impressive purses, which underscores the fact that Indiana is the third largest poker market in the nation.
As authorized sites, operating under Indiana government sanction, these land-based and riverboat casinos provide all the legal cover players need for enjoying their favorite game of poker.
Straying outside those lines however, as in the case of social poker games, operators can incur substantial legal penalties for organizing games. Additionally, law enforcement has gone so far as to charging individual players with a misdemeanor for participating.
Will Indiana Regulate Online Poker?
Looking at Indiana's track record regarding the expansion of other gambling venues, one can hold out hope that the state will move towards regulating the online poker market, but they would be advised to not hold their breath. Legislation dating back more than a decade, 2006, legislators in Indianapolis specifically added language to the legal statutes that targeted internet gaming options. While the wording does not completely close the door on online poker and casino play, it does place some obstacles in the front of that door.
Knowledgeable observers believe, as is the case with more restrictive jurisdictions that Indiana might move towards regulated online gaming once they see the success neighboring states enjoy with increased tax revenues. For the present however, until Indiana residents begin crossing over state lines to play in neighboring jurisdictions, it is unlikely that the Hoosiers will be pushing the envelope in terms of an aggressive expansion of online play.
Is Gambling Illegal In Indiana Bmv
History of Gambling in Indiana
When Indiana drafted their initial constitution in 1851, they outright banned participation of lotteries. This opposition to games of chance stayed steadfast for the next 130 years until legislators authorized a state lottery with the proceeds earmarked for educational purposes. The sale proved immediately popular, and the state moved from scratch off tickets to inclusion of state players in multi-state Powerball games.
During the heady days of Prohibition, when famous mobsters ran speakeasies and gin houses throughout the Midwest, Indiana was a hot spot for illegal gaming options. East Chicago, Indiana was a noted stopping point for illicit play throughout the 1920s and 1930s. It wasn't until unremitting violence between rival gangs, jockeying for power, led to law enforcement crackdowns on illegal gaming parlors.
Indeed, the lottery proved so popular that voters passed a referendum the following year, with an impressive 60% of the vote, to push forward with legal casino gambling, but that goal took another four years to achieve after Republican state leaders blocked the expansion attempt.
Representatives in the Indiana statehouse pushed through a measure to license riverboat casinos only to see the effort stumble and fall in pass out of a senate committee in 1991. It was not until a 1993 financial emergency that legislation authorizing five riverboat casinos was passed to help balance the state's financial books.
Racetrack fans got a leg up on their favorite hobby with opening of Hoosier Park Horse Racing Track, which offered both on-track and pari-mutuel betting on their races. This would be the first of five licensed remote horse race betting sites. Additionally, beginning in 2002, each racing complex was also authorized to add upwards of 2,000 slot machines at each location. Finally, as mentioned, in 2011 the state moved forward with a bill sanctioning the building of a land—based casino complex.