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French Lick - The state's 11th casino opened for an invitation only sneak preview Tuesday. If all goes well, the dollar complex will open for the public this Friday. As Orange County gets ready to roll the dice on the $382 million complex, a community's economic future is at stake.
The first dollar used at the French Lick Casino belonged to the family of Jack Carnes. For years he organized the orange-shirt trips to Indianapolis to lobby for a casino, but he passed away before his dream came true.
The 84,000-square-foot casino features 26-foot-high ceilings and is connected to the newly renovated, historic hotel.
State Gaming Commissioner Ernie Yelton liked the opening of the state's 11th casino to the Olympics. "However on behalf of Governor Daniels, the entire state and the Indiana Gaming Commission I say let economic prosperity for Orange County begin," said Yelton.
With that proclamation, the invitation-only gaming began. The official grand opening is scheduled for this weekend.
"We went to Indianapolis all those years now they are all coming down here to see us," said Willa Sanders, Orange County resident.
The goal, which started some 19 years earlier, was to attract jobs and give Orange County hope. "Thanks to Bill Cook I think they can do it," said Jerry Breedlove, an Orange County resident.
Everyone is hoping the opening will mean a lot for Orange County, but nobody more than the people who donned the orange T-shirts and traveled to Indianapolis year after year. For them, it was a big day.
"It is a dream come true. No other word can explain it. To see your friends and neighbors have jobs," said Sanders.
"If we all do our jobs well we have the opportunity to return French Lick to the stature it once enjoyed - that being the place known throughout the country as a great place to visit, enjoy and have fun and come back to again and again," said Bob Lauth, Lauth Group. The Lauth and Cook Groups funded the project.
"Now that it is just about to open, this board will soon begin to pay tens of millions of dollars in revenue each year to our state and local communities. That would come from gaming taxes, property taxes and the sales tax that it generates. All of this coupled with the trickle down effect that will occur as a result of the investment that's been made to date and the investment that will continue to be made in the future will truly make this the economic juggernaut that it was designed to be for the people of Orange County and for our state," Lauth said.
The Indiana Gaming Commission is supervising Tuesday's event and will conduct an audit after doors close at midnight. If all goes as planned, the casino opens to the public on Friday.
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