The Caesars/RDI partnership had already spent $11 million on making necessary improvements to use the newly acquired property. Environmental groups lodged similar complaints due to concerns regarding the potential negative impact of the proposed development on local air quality, waterways, and wildlife. Louisville officials attempted to delay the construction of Caesars Indiana, to protect the gambling revenue of Churchill Downs and other Kentucky horse racing interests. They chose a site near Bridgeport, Indiana, an unincorporated town located immediately on the Harrison County side of the Harrison County/ Floyd County border the site is 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Louisville, Kentucky ( Kentucky's largest metropolis), and was selected after performing a study to determine the nearest accessible location (to the city) that would permit a riverboat casino to operate legally. The initial plan of the Caesars/RDI partnership was for the complex to cost $228 million, but by early 1998 the projected cost was raised to $275 million. Over a year passed before the proposition by the partnership of ITT Corporation's Caesars division and Riverboat Development Incorporated (RDI) was approved, granting the Caesars World/RDI partnership the preliminary license in May 1996. In January 1995 five different proposals were given to the Indiana Gaming Commission in order to begin a riverboat gambling organization in Harrison County. On November 8, 1994, a ballot proposal to allow riverboat gambling was passed by the residents of Harrison County, Indiana, following legislation passed by the General Assembly to allow such gambling in the Hoosier state. Other amenities include a hotel, a pavilion, a showroom, two parking decks, and a golf course. The complex includes over 100,000 square feet (9,300 m 2) of gaming space, a sports betting lounge, and several restaurants. Locals often simply call it 'The Boat', a reference to the former riverboat that was the main focus of the complex. This is the closest casino to Louisville because casino gambling is not allowed in neighboring Floyd County. It is located outside the community of Elizabeth, Indiana at the Harrison County line, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Opened in 1998, it is owned by Vici Properties and operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, using the Caesars name under license from Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Southern Indiana (formerly Caesars Indiana and Horseshoe Southern Indiana ) is a casino hotel in Southern Indiana.

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