Sen. Bush says HB 1038 would require binding casino referendums in three counties and delays application deadline

Senator Bush presented the conference committee report for House Bill 1038 to the Senate Rules and Legislative Procedure Committee. He said the report starts from the Senate-passed version of HB 1038 and adds a requirement that binding referendums be placed on the Nov. 2026 general election ballot in Allen, DeKalb and Steuben counties. Under the proposal the gaming commission could not approve an application for a casino in one of those counties unless the county referendum is successful.

Bush also said the conference report extends the application deadline to Dec. 1, 2026, to account for the referendum timing and the related schedule for applicants. The sponsor did not detail fiscal impacts or implementation mechanics for the gaming commission or affected counties during the committee exchange.

A motion to report the bill carried on a roll call; the chair announced the result as "10 to 0" and said the bill "passes." The committee then recessed.