Indiana House Passes New Rising Star Casino Relocation Bill

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 8:11 AM

By Travis Thayer @eagle993

A similar bill filed earlier this session stalled in the Senate.

INDIANAPOLIS - A bill that would allow Rising Star Casino to be relocated is one step closer to coming to fruition.

On Monday, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 1038 by a vote of 67-30.

The legislation would give four counties a chance at becoming the new home for Rising Star Casino, which has operated in Rising Sun since 1996. Allen, DeKalb and Stueben counties in the Fort Wayne area, along with Wayne County in eastern Indiana are in the running to land the casino.

House Bill 1038 now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

The Senate had a similar bill to relocate Rising Star Casino stall. That bill would have seen the casino relocate to Allen County. Similar language is found in the new House Bill that would require the operator selected for the relocated casino to invest at least $500 million in the project within five years of opening.

The bill also includes a provision requiring the new casino operator to pay a total of $30 million to the City of Rising Sun and Ohio County to offset the loss of casino tax revenue.

If passed into law, a new casino operator would have to be selected by April 15, 2027.

Rising Star Casino Parent Company Plans to Relocate Gaming License to Fort Wayne Area