INDIANAPOLIS (WTWO/WAWV) – Full House Resorts, Inc., one of the finalists that applied for but was denied the Vigo County casino license in November, filed a lawsuit against the Indiana Gaming Commission on Friday claiming the commission violated Indiana’s open door law regarding meetings.
Full House and Churchill Downs, Inc. were the two finalists from four applicants considered at the Nov. 17 meeting in Indianapolis. Churchill Downs received what was called a certificate of suitability from the IGC at the conclusion of that meeting and following an executive session by the IGC.
The lawsuit, filed in Marion Superior Court 2, argues that the executive session violated the state’s open door law. The lawsuit seeks in part to void the decision to deny Full House’s application and the decision to grant the license to Churchill.
The Vigo County casino license was originally awarded to Lucy Luck Gaming, LLC but the IGC did not renew that license earlier this year, which opened it up for other applicants. Lucy Luck appealed that decision. A hearing in that matter has been set for February 2022.
The IGC order following the November meeting states that the license to operate the Vigo County casino “shall be awarded to Churchill Downs upon the final affirmation of the nonrenewal of Lucy Luck’s casino owner’s license currently pending with the Office of Administrative Law Proceedings… .”
