INDIANAPOLIS | The Kankakee River enclave now known as Marti's Place first opened its doors in the late 1930s as a place where local businessmen could play cards and enjoy a meal.
Seven decades later -- with some help from Indiana legislators -- the waterfront restaurant and bar again can offer a little low-stakes gambling alongside its seafood and prime rib entrees. Manager Ron Klauer said Marti's Place plans to be one of the first local establishments to take advantage of a new state law allowing taverns to sell pull tabs, punchboards and raffle tickets.
"It will give (customers) something to do -- a little bit of an entertainment factor," Klauer said. "There's a lot of people who enjoy gaming, and they go to the (casino river) boats. Hopefully, they'll come here, spend a couple bucks, maybe take dinner home for the family."
The restaurant just south of Hebron on Ind. 2 -- Marti's Place at Ramsey's Landing is the full name -- is among roughly 300 liquor-pouring establishments across Indiana that already have received a license to sell the low-stakes games of chance from the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission. They can begin offering the games Tuesday, when the new law takes effect.
"We got about 60 (applications) in each of the past two days," ATC Chairman Dave Heath said Friday. "Our goal down the road is to have these licenses expire and come up for renewal at the same time as their alcoholic beverage permits."
Chances on the games, which veterans halls and other nonprofits have had the right to sell for years, will go for up to $1 and offer grand prizes of up to $599. The bars also can hold $300 winner-take-all drawings on a monthly, weekly or daily schedule.
"They use that to get people to come and drink a beer, buy a sandwich or something like that," Heath said.
State legislators created the gaming licenses a year after launching a crackdown on illegal video poker consoles and electronic slots machines in bars, truck stops and other locations. Tavern keepers convinced lawmakers tasty pork tenderloins and cold beer no longer were enough for them to compete for Hoosier entertainment dollars.
