Allen County voters reject casino plan in 2026 ballot measure

Voters in Allen County rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed a casino to be built in the area. The measure, known as Public Question No. 3, failed with 61,310 votes against it and 41,625 votes in favor. This result places Allen County alongside DeKalb and Steuben counties, which also voted to deny the proposal.

The 2026 election gives residents of these three counties the final say on the issue. Under Indiana law, a second public question on the matter cannot be held in a county that votes against the measure. Consequently, the Indiana Gaming Commission is prohibited from awarding a license to prospective developers in Allen County.

House Bill 1038, passed by Indiana lawmakers in February, authorized the creation of a casino in one of the three counties. The legislation required a referendum to allow voters to voice their opinion. Because the measure failed, the legal pathway for a new casino in Allen County is closed.

Campaigns on both sides of the issue mobilized residents in the months leading up to the vote. Proponents argued that a casino would provide new jobs and revenue without raising taxes. Opponents raised concerns about addiction, gambling habits, and potential increases in local crime.

Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker and all three members of the Allen County Board of Commissioners supported the initiative. Last December, they wrote a letter to state lawmakers expressing their backing for a casino in Allen County. The Vote Yes for Allen campaign, a political action committee, described the vote as an opportunity to create thousands of new jobs.

The pro-casino group cited an economic study by CBRE Group, Inc. The study estimated that the casino would create more than 2,000 permanent jobs and require about 5,500 construction jobs. However, the report noted that the casino would directly employ only about 950 workers in Allen County. It projected that just under 2,500 of the construction jobs would be created within the county.

Save Northeast Indiana, a coalition of residents, business owners, and faith leaders, challenged the job figures. The group noted that CBRE’s report stated 947 of the 1,676 estimated direct jobs would be at the casino itself. The coalition argued that the figures did not subtract jobs lost from local restaurants, hotels, and retailers.

The coalition also cited an economic impact report from Kenosha County, Wisconsin. That report stated that violent crime in South Bend, Indiana, increased in the first two years after the Four Winds South Bend casino opened. Coalition for a Better Indiana, a nonprofit opposing the casino efforts, held informational meetings in the region.

Cathie Humbarger, a member of the Coalition for a Better Allen County, spoke to 21Alive News last November. She stated that the group did not want to depend on a corrupt organization for economic development. She also noted the community's responsibility for residents with a tendency toward gaming addiction.