Best Casinos in Indiana

Home of the Indianapolis Colts and the Indianapolis 500, touching Lake Michigan before stretching south through the American Midwest, Indiana, also known as the Hoosier State, has long been considered the crossroads of America.

When it comes to casino gambling in America’s heartland, Indiana provides a fine selection of gaming options, from elegant riverboat casinos like the towering Blue Chip Casino, Hotel and Spa, to land-based palaces like the sophisticated French Lick Resort. To provide you with an easy way to know where to go when gambling in Indiana, USA Online Casino has compiled this list of the best and brightest casino resorts Indiana has to offer.

Below we have featured the best land-based casinos within the state of Indiana according to customer, industry and peer reviews. Indiana casinos are known for their opulence and grandeur and not only provide an excellent selection of table games, poker, video poker, specialty games and slots, but also elegant spas, stables for horseback riding, multiple golf courses, conference facilities, entertainment venues, top rated restaurants and bars and more.

When it comes it Indiana casinos, selecting the top three was no easy task. Of the state’s 14 casino resorts, whether land-based, riverboat or racino (a combination racetrack and casino), all but two receive over four stars, and rightfully so. From National Historic Landmarks coupling resorts, casinos, dining, spas, golf, hiking, bike rentals horseback riding and even carriage rides, to modern state-of-the-art riverboat casino resorts on Lake Michigan, Indiana is the place to go for those who love to combine casino gambling with unadulterated natural recreation and leisure.

French Lick Casino Resort

Situated among the lush rolling hills and misty valleys of the Hoosier National Forest, the French Lick Casino Resort has pretty much everything you need for the ideal active family vacation combined with absolute excellence in casino gambling. Posh and elegant, the French Lick Resort offers up not one but two historic hotels, three of the best golf courses in the state, two health spas and opulent conference, restaurant and bar facilities, not to mention a host of planned kids and family activities and everything from cycling to hiking and horseback riding.
Not far from Kentucky border where North once met South, the French Lick Resort is the ultimate in Midwestern beauty. The gaming facility itself offers up 51,000 square feet of excitement located under amazing 27-foot ceilings and boasts 1,000 classic and state-of-the-art slots and video poker machines, 37 live-dealer table games, VIP lounges, live entertainment and dining options that with out a doubt rival the world’s best casino offerings.

Blue Chip Casino

Located in northwest Indiana along Trail Creek a few blocks from the scenic shores of Lake Michigan and the Washington Park Zoo, and stretched over 35-acres, the Blue Chip Casino and Blue Chip Hotel offers up a wealth of gaming and recreational activities within reasonable driving distance of Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit. With some 65,000 square feet of casino floor spread across a single level on a riverboat casino connected by a tunnel to an elegantly modern tower hotel and decked out in the ultimate in luxury décor, the Blue Chip Casino serves up 40 live-dealer tables with an assortment of games including Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Mississippi Stud Progressive, 3 Card Poker Progressive, Caribbean Stud, 21+3 with Top 3, Mini Baccarat, High Card Flush and Heads Up Hold’Em, together with 8 poker room tables and 1,700 slots including progressive slots.

Horseshoe Southern Indiana

Formerly Caesars Indiana, the Horseshoe Southern Indiana, referred to locally as “The Boat” is located just across the Ohio river from Louisville, Kentucky, a state in which gambling is illegal with the exception of horseracing and certain types of charity lotteries. Operated by Caesars Entertainment but owned by Vici Properties, the Horseshoe casino complex occupies a massive 93,000 square feet over four floors of the largest operational riverboat in the USA. Known as “The Glory of Rome” or simply “The Boat” to locals, it is also the largest riverboat casino in the USA and serves up some 140 gaming tables and over 2,800 slot machines together with dinning facilities and entertainment. Beside the riverboat there is a conference center, 503-room deluxe hotel shopping center, golf course and nature preserve, making the Horseshoe Southern Indiana an idyllic destination for gamblers looking to get away with the family.

See All Casinos in Indiana

Indiana is a remarkably diverse state with a great deal to offer, from the fertile lowlands that comprise the Great Lakes plains in the north to the slightly rolling terrain to the east of the White River and temperate climate to the more humid subtropical climate of the southern parts of the state and its historic attachment to the old south, rich in hospitality, Indiana remains one of the last, true off the beaten track places for gaming enthusiasts in search of mega resort luxury, combined with history, natural recreation and excellence in casino gambling.

History of Gambling in Indiana

Not long after being admitted to the United States as the 19th state in 1816, the Indiana Constitution of 1851 included a clause that banned all lottery type games. The intent was to imply that since lottery games of chance were banned so too would all gambling and casino games. Over 130 years later, in 1988, a statewide vote moved to remove the lottery ban from the Hoosier state’s constitution.

With the economy in recession, the mayor of Gary, Indiana, Thomas Barnes, proposed that the city allow casino gambling, especially large integrated casino resorts, as a way to stimulate the local economy and create jobs, sparking a statewide debate that would rage for years. Numerous bills to legalize casino gambling came before the Indiana General Assembly, the equivalent of the state legislature, only to be shot down by a staunchly conservative and traditional senate.
Finally, some five years later, a special session of the Assembly approved a bill that would allow for riverboat casinos. Five sites were to be selected along the shores of Lake Michigan in the north, five more riverboat casinos were to be allowed on the Ohio River and one on Patoka Lake, where French Lake is located in the Hoosier National Forest.
The first riverboat casino, Casino Aztar Evansville, was opened on a boat called “The City of Evansville” in 1995 on the Ohio River.

Gambling Laws in Indiana

Gambling laws in Indiana allow for casino gambling only on licensed riverboat casinos, and betting on horse racing. All other forms of gambling on games of chance are prohibited across the state. In 2015 state legislators passed a new law that allows casino operators with existing riverboat casino licenses to move their operations onto land if they so choose. The new law was intended to protect the state’s gaming industry from increasing competition in neighboring states. The Hoosier state’s first riverboat casino, the Casino Aztar Evansville on the Ohio River, was the first to take advantage of the law and move its operations onto land.

A law passed in 2007 now allows the state’s racetracks at Indiana Downs and Hoosier Park to install and operate up to 2,000 slot machines each.
Indian casino operators, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, then announced plans in 2012 to open a “tribal village” style casino resort on 164-acres of land in South Bend, Indiana. Called the Four Winds South Bend, the casino opened in January 2018 offering some 1,800 slots together with a players longue, bars, restaurants and live entertainment.

Indiana Gambling Facts

Now we’ve visited the three best casinos in the state of Indiana and had a look through the history of their gambling laws but clearly much has had to be left out. So, to round things out on a fun note, the staff here at USA Online Casino has put together a couple of bits of random Indiana trivia to keep you entertained in the name of good old-fashioned Hoosier hospitality.

Legalized sports betting?

In light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling opening the doors to legalized gambling across the USA, Indiana is moving as fast as it can to get in on the action. With the Hoosier state hosting some of the most famous sports teams in the US, including professional teams the Colts and Pacers as well as 10 NCAA division schools, sports betting is just around the corner.

“The Boat”

Indiana hosts the largest riverboat and riverboat casino in the world. Located on the Ohio river and affectionally referred to as “The Boat” or “The Glory of Rome” the riverboat no longer regularly sails the Ohio River but is still fully functional, taking a cruise once a year to maintain its U.S. Coast Guard safety certifications.

Motor racing firsts

Home of the Indianapolis 500, the most prestigious event US racing, the first long-distance auto race in the US was held on May 30, 1911 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of today’s Indy500. Moreover, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the highest capacity sports viewing venue in the world, with a capacity to seat 235,000 spectators

Today Indiana can boast a total of 14 casino gaming establishments, from classic riverboat casinos on Lake Michigan and the Ohio River like the Ameristar on the lake, or the Horseshoe Southern Indiana (also known as “The Boat” or “The Glory of Rome”) on the river, to the French Lick Resort Casino on an artificial lake in the Hoosier National Forest, if you’re looking for world class casino games, family resort entertainment and awe inspiring nature, Indiana is the place to play.