Today the Indiana Horsemen, representing the state's Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse associations, released their position following the publication of the statewide gaming study required under Senate Enrolled Act 43 (2025).
While the Horsemen appreciate the study's acknowledgment of the significance of the horse racing industry's $2 billion annual economic and agricultural impact, they are warning that any recommendation to locate a new casino in Indianapolis would decimate the state's horse racing industry and unravel three decades of responsible growth and partnership.
"Indiana's horse racing industry is the backbone of rural economic development and agribusiness across all 92 counties," said John DeLong, President of the Indiana Standardbred Association. "The study rightfully recognizes our impact, but placing a casino in Indianapolis would cripple the racetrack casino model that makes this industry possible. It would unravel decades of investment, could eliminate hundreds of jobs, and destroy a proven partnership between the horsemen, the racetracks, and the state."
Brian Elmore, External Relations for the Indiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (INHBPA), added: "A casino in Indianapolis would cannibalize the racetrack markets in Anderson and Shelbyville - the very regions that fund racing purses and breeding programs through shared revenue with the racinos. In short, the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze. Any increase in gaming revenue could come at the cost of an entire industry that sustains families, farms, and communities across Indiana."
The Horsemen emphasized that the current structure - centered on the racetracks in Anderson and Shelbyville - has been nationally recognized as a gold standard for how gaming and agribusiness can coexist and thrive. The model has led to sustained growth in breeding programs, job creation, and agribusiness investment statewide over the past 30 years.
While some areas of the state could potentially support new gaming development with less disruption, the Horsemen cautioned that even expansion in the northeastern region could still impact the industry. "If expansion were ever to occur, the furthest northeastern part of the state would result in the least amount of harm," the Horsemen said. "But any move closer to the existing racino markets risks eroding the very foundation of Indiana horse racing."
The Horsemen concluded by reaffirming their commitment to protecting the integrity of the partnership that has made Indiana's horse racing program a national success story.
"Indiana's policymakers have long shown foresight in ensuring that racing and gaming grow together, not at each other's expense," the statement read. "We simply ask that same prudence continue to be applied - because the health of Indiana's rural economy, and the thousands of Hoosier jobs tied to it and livelihoods that depends on it. We look forward to watching this situation close and work with the legislators."
