Indiana casino executives are conferring by phone today with state gaming regulators about new laws allowing customers to come and go from gambling boats instead of waiting for “cruises.”

        Officials at one of the Ohio River's five gambling boats say they are ready to let down gangplanks 24 hours a day, and another says it is “clearly in our future.”

The Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg is considering ending cruises and keeping the gangplank down. (Enquirer file photo) | ZOOM |

        But customers will likely have to wait until September or October to take advantage of new “dockside” legislation that Gov. Frank O'Bannon is expected to sign into law next week.

        “Not much will happen before Labor Day,” said Barry Morris, general manager of Caesar's Indiana, the state's second biggest boat.

        How fast casinos can prepare for 24-hour operations — and how quickly the state can change methods for computing a new tax structure — are among the subjects of today's scheduled conference call between operators and the Indiana Gaming Commission.

        “Timing is really up in the air,” Gaming Commission spokeswoman Jenny Arnold said Thursday.

        Boats that want to eliminate cruises — which can be up to two hours long — are expected to fill out applications. Ms. Arnold said criteria for those applications also will be discussed.

        Only one other boat has confirmed it will make the change and eliminate cruises.

        “We intend to stop cruising as soon as the governor signs the law and the Indiana Gaming Commission puts procedures and rules in place,” said Pam Martin, director of advertising at Casino Aztar in Evansville.

        “We believe it will level the playing field and allow us to recapture business we lost to Illinois since they went to dockside,” she said. “We have experienced a drop of 15 percent.”

        At the state's biggest boat, Argosy Casino in Lawrenceburg, officials are still attempting to figure the odds on dockside operations, which comes with a tax increase up to 35 percent of gaming revenues.

        “If we continue to cruise, we absorb a $9 million tax increase based on last year's numbers,” said Dan Marshall, vice president of Argosy Gaming Co. “But if we do dockside, we have to absorb a $25 million tax increase.”

        There are other considerations in moving to dockside gaming — such as competition and customer satisfaction.

        The new gaming bill gives Indiana's 10 casino boats the option of “dockside” operations, but would impose a gradual tax structure based on revenues. Instead of paying a flat 20 percent, a boat like the Argosy would be taxed up to 35 percent on revenues exceeding $150 million.

        Argosy took in $346 million last year.

        Casinos that choose not to convert operations — and continue to use boarding times — will face only a 2.5 percent tax increase that goes into effect July 1.

        While casino officials had fought for dockside gaming, they said they were surprised to get a choice.

        “(The tax) is so expensive,” said Bob Stewart, assistant general manager at the Grand Victoria Casino in Rising Sun. “We have to see where we fit into it.”

        Officials with Belterra Casino did not return calls.
       

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