The $200-million Indiana Live! casino opened Friday night
in Shelbyville. If the free-money giveaways around town, faux Obama commercials and the buzz around a promised ribbon-cutting
appearance by Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake* convinced you to attend the grand-opening, share your thoughts here. The
building itself is quite a dramatic sight from Interstate 74, especially after seeing miles of cornfields. The project was
designed by Las Vegas-based Klai Juba Architects and Cleo Design, firms that worked on some of the most-recognized casinos
on the Las Vegas Strip including Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand. The 233,000-square-foot casino was developed and will be managed
by Baltimore, Md.-based The Cordish Company. Besides all the slot machines and electronic table games, the snazzy facility
gives Shelbyville a dining attraction that rivals The Cow Palace.
A few observations from a preview event:
*Timberlake and Biel didn't show. Was it all just a hoax to attract larger crowds? For more, check out Lou Harry's A&E
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Do they have enough tractor and combine parking for all the Dale Jr. fans?
I will likely check it out, but I just cannot justify spending my time staring at a TV screen while gambling. I'd much rather make the drive to French Lick or just wait til the next Vegas trip.
Isn't Dealer interaction part of the environment, not to mention the job creation. You are replacing a human with a TV screen. Indiana, if you've made the leap to this, just dive on in with the Dealers.
It was a easy 20 minute drive so we will be sure to go back & check it out.
Hi Cory, sorry we didn't get a chance to chat!
I tire of people (like Eddie White) thinking that casinos are the answer to all ills. They create significant problems that we are conveniently ignoring.
I was there and part of the VIP process, I liked the facility a lot. When you walk in it's open but well defined in the areas. The drinks were strong (we'll see how long that last), music was good, a good variety of options, and staff was friendly - and surprisingly with it and in the know about the facility. It was sort of like Circle Center MAll Food Court with the Center Bar and stage and restaraunts scattered along the edge.
I think they need a few more bartenders, prices were average on drinks, the rock angels looked good, and I was impressed with the diversity of the crowd. I'll be going back, but thankfully I know enough of the back roads to not get ensnarled in that traffic jam.
I heard that JT & Biel were delayed (they weren't at the ribbon cutting) but that they did come later in the evening and hang out into the night in the high stakes area and Makers Mark area.
I'm just really disappointed that this is such a big deal around here. I'm not anti-casinos in principle, but I think this creates an irreversible negative mark on the character of the area.
Casino - nice jab, but your casino still is ful of fat people smoking and spending their Fed Gov checks and looking forward to medicaid/medicare deathbeds. and Barbie isn;t her name. :lol:
An indelible impression was left on me on my last visit to a casino (as a tourist, not a gambler): two Muslim women in abayas sat blank-faced and bored at the dollar slots. At each woman's side was a bucket of money, from which she took coins to feed the machine and then hit the button. Over and over the women played. For what? I mean, what if they won, what would they get? A bucket of money!
Though I discourage gambling, I'm not against private parties setting up shop and running casinos, card houses or the like. The state, however, should not be involved in an activity that ultimately is detrimental to public welfare.