Indiana's ships come in.

• Author: Beck, Bill
• Position: Casino boats - Cover Story

What to expect as more casino boats are launched this year and next. And what's the bet on another pari-mutuel track?

Riverboat gambling in Indiana is being launched in a big way this spring, and all indications are that a veritable flotilla of casino boats will be plying Indiana's Ohio River and Lake Michigan waters before this time next year.

Indiana passed a riverboat casino law in 1993, good for operations of five casino boats on Lake Michigan and five on the Ohio River. The state set up a seven-member gaming commission and began issuing what it calls "certificates of suitability," good for six months and renewable. So far, Indiana has issued four certificates of suitability for Lake Michigan and a like number for the Ohio River. The state's first riverboat, in Evansville on the Ohio, opened for business last fall.

Meanwhile, horse-racing is off to a fast start at Hoosier Park in Anderson and at off-track betting facilities around the state. And plans have been announced for a second horse track, this time in Marion County.

CASINOS ON THE OHIO

One of the two state waterways approved by the Indiana General Assembly for riverboat gambling, the Ohio River has been targeted for riverboat gaining in Evansville, Rising Sun, Lawrenceburg and Harrison County. While riverboats proposed by Hyatt Grand Casino & Resort in Rising Sun and Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg are both still under construction, Casino Aztar in Evansville is already boasting record attendance.

Since the "City of Evansville" launched in December, the number of gamblers aboard the riverboat has risen almost every month, though wet weather drove the daily average down slightly in April to about 6,200. Casino Aztar set an ambitious attendance goal of 2.3 million for the year, and marketing director Tricia Lavore says the casino is likely to reach that magic number. In addition to the 2,500-person riverboat, a pavilion, parking garage and hotel are slated to finish construction by December.

Lavore offers insight into Casino Aztar's marketing strategy, saying Aztar is targeting the metro areas of Cincinnati, Lexington, Indianapolis and Louisville, plus the 150-mile radius around those cities. She says there "is no true demographic for people who love the gaming experience." During the week, business people and senior citizens are frequent visitors, while on the weekend, the predominant age group is 25 to 54.

Casino Aztar hired 90 percent of its workforce from Vanderburgh County, and the employees spent three weeks in intense training, dealing with operations and customer service.

Further east on the Ohio is the proposed Hyatt Grand Victoria Casino & Resort located in Rising Sun. The project, set to open later in 1996, is still pending approval with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Hyatt is planning not just a boat but an 18-hole golf course, restaurants, a hotel and an entertainment pavilion.

While the boat, which has 40,000 square feet of gaming space, is certainly an attraction, to achieve the goal of a rounded entertainment experience, the Hyatt property is planned to be within walking distance of Rising Sun's downtown area. Rising Sun plans to develop its Main Street area and add various shops...