incentives. The town of Fremont will consider additional tax abatement at the request of the Steuben County Economic Development Corporation.

A casino bill that riled local communities now is riling casino operators, following changes made by an Indiana Senate committee.

Radical revisions made to sections of Senate Bill 528 dealing with the admissions tax and the deductibility of free slot play have soured many casino operators on a bill they originally supported.

"To have people saying this is legislation to help our industry out, when it doesn't help us out at all, is very puzzling," said Dan Nita, general manager at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond.

The bill as originally introduced in the Senate would have helped Indiana casinos compete with casinos in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.

Casinos in Ohio have 100 percent deductibilitya petition from Diversified Real Estate LLC for Main Street South Bend LLC for a three-year, 100 percent property tax abatement at Tuesday's meeting.

This tax abatement request is not standard, according to attorney Pete Agostino. The default setting for a three-year tax abatement in Indiana is 100 percent relief the first year, followed by 66 percent the second year and 33 percent the third year.

Because of the $11 million investment, creation of up to 100 jobs and a potential average wage of about $32,000, they feel like the abatement is deserved.Agostino said the company is asking for the full 100 percent abatement for three years because they feel they meet criteria set forth in Indiana state legislation in 2011, which gives governing bodies, here the County Council, the