Bally’s Casino Visitor Allegedly Bites Indiana Gaming Officer During Drunken Violence

Posted on: September 12, 2022, 05:27h. 

Last updated on: September 13, 2022, 03:04h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A man at Bally’s Evansville casino allegedly hurled obscenities at and assaulted Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) officers during a drunken tirade on Saturday night. He also bit one police officer, according to official reports.

Colter Burk in a mug shot
Colter Burk in a mug shot. He allegedly assaulted, swore at, and bit gaming police at Indiana’s Bally’s casino. (Image: Vanderburgh County Jail)

Officers attempted to remove the man, later identified as Colter Burk, 35, of Pennsylvania, from the Indiana gaming property after getting into a dispute with another casino player, WEHT, a local TV station, reported. Burk had gotten into a dispute with another casino player.

One of the officers asked Burk for identification, but instead of cooperating, Burk allegedly went on an argumentative tirade while on an escalator. He appeared to be intoxicated, according to descriptions from the official report. Burk then yelled at officers, saying he did not want to leave the casino and eventually refused to budge, police said.

When an officer tried to bring him under control, Burk allegedly hit him in the face with his forearm, the report added.

Several officers were able to restrain Burk on the floor, but Burk struggled and allegedly bit one of the IGC officers on the finger. An EMT later treated the bloody finger injury.

He was placed in Vanderburgh County Jail. Later, he reportedly was released from custody.

No word on how much the man had to drink that night and if any servers tried to cut him off from further drinks.

The Bally’s casino is located on the Ohio River. It is about 120 miles west of Louisville, Ky. It is near the Indiana-Kentucky border.

Casino Transaction

The casino, originally the Tropicana Evansville, got a new owner in June 2021. Caesars Entertainment and Bally’s Corp. closed the transaction, letting Bally take over gaming operations at the southern Indiana casino.

Gaming & Leisure Properties purchased the real estate, which it now leases to the Rhode Island-based gaming company for at least $28 million a year. The total purchase price was $480 million, with Bally’s portion at $140 million.

Bally’s operates gaming venues in Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.

Building Controversy

The company also wants to build a controversial casino in State College, Pa., the home of Penn State University.

But after receiving hundreds of letters in opposition to the $123 million Bally’s casino project — and a petition signed by more than 1,000 local community members voicing their disapproval of the project — local councilmembers responded that they will investigate their legal options to halt the development.

The College Township Council doesn’t have much legal recourse to withdraw its candidacy as a mini-casino host.

If constructed, the Bally’s venue would be less than five miles from the iconic Beaver Stadium and the scenic Penn State campus.