The Indiana Supreme Court cleared the way last week for floating casinos in the state.
In a 4-to-4 decision, the high court reversed a lower court ruling that found the state's 1993 riverboat casino law to be unconstitutional.
Jon Laramore, a deputy Indiana attorney general, said the new ruling allows the Indiana Gaming Commission to proceed with a licensing process for casinos in northwest and southern Indiana.
The law had been challenged by a group of Porter County business people who felt it violated the state constitution by requiring some areas of the state to hold citywide referendums on introducing floating casinos and others to hold countywide referendums.
Laramore said the high court found that there was a sufficient difference between the way some cities and counties would be affected by the casinos "to permit different voting schemes."
He added that the plaintiffs have 30 days to file for a rehearing before the state Supreme Court if they choose to do so.
Gary is expected to be the first site for riverboats in the state, according to Dewey Peaan, vice president of governmental and legislative affairs for the Northwest Indiana Forum, an economic development group in northwest Indiana.
He said casinos in the state will result in thousands of jobs and "tens of millions of dollars" in tax revenues for governments.
