House panel dilutes casino bill, restores funding

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana House committee has rewritten a gambling bill to keep table games out of Indiana's racetracks and restore money for counties that host casinos.

The House Public Policy Committee voted 10-3 Wednesday to approve the amended gambling bill. The panel narrowly approved an amendment to keep table games out of the two racetracks with slots owned by Centaur Holdings.

Centaur Chief Operating Officer Jim Brown argued it would only be a slight change to allow live dealers in place of the automated table games already in place. But Republican Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Davis said table games were never what the Legislature intended when it approved slots for the racetracks.

Several local officials successfully lobbied the panel to restore local aid they get from taxes paid by casinos.