“The facility could not accommodate 2,500 slot machines,” said Rick Moore, president of Hoosier Park. “But the faster we set up a slot room, the faster we could start earning money back. We would be talking months, not years.”

On Tuesday, Moore sounded hopeful that state legislators would re-examine the licensing fee by the April 29 end of the legislative session. He said racinos have a proven track record of success when regulation does not make them cost-prohibitive.

“The model has worked in pretty much every state as long as the economics are right,” Moore said. “There is a point of diminishing returns. We have to be careful not to reach that.”

Anecdotal evidence suggests Centaur would be able to pay off even the astronomical licensing fee given time.

Mary Lou Coady, media relations specialist at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa, said numbers there exceeded expectations during the racino’s opening weekend.

“Just 18 or 19 months after we opened, not only were we operating, but we retired $90 million in bond debt,” Coady said. “It drew in more people than they expected.”

Coady said around $1 million went through Prairie Meadows during that first weekend.