USA Today – Phil Sicuso and Joe Champion say Indianapolis International Airport is well suited for wireless gambling technology that could bring in revenue to support more nonstop flights.
The pair work at Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP and floated the idea in an article for their firm’s newsletter, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.
Sicuso, a former general counsel for the Indiana Gaming Commission, suggests the airport could create lounges in which travelers over age 21 could play games on handheld devices that are connected to a central server. He said the setup wouldn’t compete with existing casinos because it would serve only travelers with tickets.
“That’s part of the reason we thought it was palatable,” he said. “It’s a completely new customer.”
Indianapolis Airport Authority President Mike Wells said the idea is “clever” but he doesn’t think it will fly.
Lawmakers have been reluctant to expand gambling even as new casinos in neighboring states are cutting into Indiana’s casino revenues. The General Assembly rejected proposals last year that would have moved riverboat casinos to land-based facilities and allowed live table games at two horse racing tracks.
