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Indiana's new casino cashes in
BY ZACH DUNKIN | INDIANAPOLIS STAR
Just north of Paoli on Ind. 37, a billboard touts the proximity of the state's newest casino at French Lick Springs Resort.
Close by is a smaller, handpainted sign by a local entrepreneur: CASINO CASH FOR YOUR JUNK CAR - $50 TO $100.
Seems like everyone wants a piece of the action at French Lick's 3-month-old casino.
Like Russell Griffey of Washington, Ind., who got a $1,000 payout on the Diamonds and Devils machine.
"I've been here about 30 times already," said Griffey on a recent afternoon. "And I figure I'm about even as far as the money goes. ... It beats hanging out in some redneck bar."
The new casino in French Lick and the 9-year-old Argosy in Lawrenceburg, near Cincinnati, are just two of 11 casinos that have opened in Indiana since the state legalized riverboat gambling in 1993. Casino Aztar - with its City of Evansville riverboat - was Indiana's first gaming riverboat in 1996.
The French Lick casino is part of a $382 million historic restoration and development project that includes the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel; the latter is set to reopen in April.
Unlike many of the state's casinos that rest on a natural body of water such as the Ohio River or Lake Michigan, French Lick's building sits on a shallow, man-made lake.
What else makes the casino different from the rest in the state? Design, for one, says general manager Chris Leininger.
"Our intent was to use a spacious, wide-open design unlike others who were limited by their vessellike construction," said Leininger, who gained his casino experience working at the former Trump Casino in Gary, Ind.
The one-level, 84,000-square foot casino features 42,000 square feet of gambling space and 27-foot high ceilings. The casino with its beaux-arts architectural style has a clean, roomy feel to it.
There are not any smoke-free areas, but the air is "turned over" 11 times per hour. "We wanted to provide an air-circulating system for a smoke-free atmosphere," said Leininger.
The casino has 1,200 slot machines, 32 table games for blackjack, roulette and craps and a 12-table poker room. The operation also offers a high-limit, VIP gaming area.
Leininger says the list of slot favorites includes Wheel of Fortune, Diamonds and Devils, Pompeii, Penny Frenzy, Pyramid, Reels of Dublin and Double Easy Money.
Dining options include the 24-hour Diamond Jim's Trattoria restaurant and the Nosh deli. Patrons can also eat in the entertainment lounge, where there is live entertainment on weekends.
While most of Indiana's casinos are located near interstates, French Lick's nearest interstate connection is 40 miles and an hour's drive south on Ind. 37 at the Sulphur, interchange on Interstate 64.
Leininger doesn't see that as a problem.
Although Leininger couldn't reveal hard figures, he says the 433-room hotel's occupancy rate has increased each month since it opened Nov. 3, "which is good when you consider this is the soft time of the year for hotels." |
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