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No live dealers at racinos till 2021

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State lawmakers will work late Wednesday night ahead of a midnight deadline to finish their work for 2015, and one of the unresolved issues is the bill that calls for live dealers at the racinos in Anderson and Shelbyville.

As the gambling bill stands currently it calls for live dealers at the racinos but not until 2021.

That’s because replacing video dealers with real people would amount to an expansion of gambling, according to the governor, and he doesn’t approve.

Mike Pence, in fact, made a trip to the House Speaker’s office to move the effective date of the bill back to March 2021 from January 1 because, if he’s re-elected, he will still be in office until mid-January of that year.

He doesn’t want it to happen on his watch.

“I just finished meetings with the leadership of the House and Senate going over some remaining issues that we have,” he said on the way back to his office, “but again, I’m very encouraged.”

The bill will still permit riverboat casinos to move on land and it includes other measures meant to help Indiana casinos compete with out of state competition.

Still to be voted on are the bill that would take power away from state School Superintendent Glenda Ritz and a new two-year state budget that includes increases in education spending.