Indiana casinos likely to remain closed until mid-June, regulators say

According to new guidance from the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC), the mandated closure of Northwest Indiana's casino industry put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 would probably continue until at least mid-June.

IGC issued a brief statement saying the reopening of gambling facilities across Indiana will be part of Phase 4 of Gov. Eric Holcomb's "Back on Track" plan — tentatively scheduled for June 14.

"Please note that dates in the current plan are subject to change as new information emerges," the commission said. "No reopening dates have been determined at this time, as the decision is dependent upon information that is not yet available."

The governor's Back on Track plan is a gradual reopening of Indiana's economy amid the coronavirus pandemic that aims to get things back to "normal" by July 4, provided the anticipated increase in new COVID-19 cases due to the reopening does not overwhelm the capacity of hospitals to treat them.

As reported by The Times, in Phase 4, Indiana retailers and offices can reopen to full capacity, restaurants can offer dine-in service at 75% capacity, bars and nightclubs can reopen to 50% capacity, and other cultural, entertainment and tourism businesses can reopen at 50% capacity.

Approximately 5,000 employees of the casinos in Hammond, East Chicago, Gary and Michigan City, have been furloughed, and no longer are receiving a paycheck, since the state ordered casinos closed March 16.

Indiana also is poised to tally more than $175 million in lost gaming tax revenue for March, April, May and June, since the casinos likely will reopen with reduced capacity, such as every other slot machine turned off, to maintain social distancing between patrons.