FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- After winning a decade-long fight for a casino, some are banking on this sleepy pocket in southern Indiana hill country doing more than waking up to a few hundred new jobs. Roaring back to life is what they have in mind.

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"We are going to create a true destination in the Midwest, just like it was in its heyday," said Democratic state Rep. Jerry Denbo.

By a nearly 2-to-1 margin Tuesday, residents in Orange County voted in favor of a casino to be built on an artificial waterway between two historic hotels in French Lick and West Baden Springs.

Decades ago, the area was a playground for rich travelers who lounged in mineral springs by day and gambled the nights away. Gambling and prostitution flourished thanks to the influence of well-connected hotel owners and politicians, and police who turned a blind eye.

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In the 1920s, the area had as many as 17 casinos. The illegal gambling ended in 1949 when Gov. Henry F. Schricker ordered state police to crack down.

For several years now, the county has ranked at or near the top in unemployment. Many tourists bypass the area in favor of flashy casinos an hour's drive south on the Ohio River.

Supporters hope a casino -- with slot machines, blackjack and poker -- will resurrect past glory and help French Lick distinguish itself as more than just the hometown of basketball legend Larry Bird. He still owns a house there and is an investor in one of five groups vying to operate the casino.

"We've got big plans for this place," said Jack Carnes, 71, of French Lick. He is among many who traveled to the Statehouse often over the past several years to lobby for a casino.

It could be several months before a casino operator is chosen and construction begins. Officials must pass local ordinances to support the venture, and the Indiana Gaming Commission will make the final decision on awarding a casino contract.

But there are preliminary plans for a trolley to connect the historic hotels and for museums and shops to be built along a boardwalk. The Legislative Services Agency projects that the casino could take in more than $40 million per year and generate close to $10 million a year in state and local tax revenue.

Many opponents have predicted that a casino would lead to more social ills, including increased crime, bankruptcies and domestic problems.

Robert Hoyt, leader of the Orange County Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, blamed the referendum loss on misinformation and the "massive amounts of money" spent on the campaign by prospective casino operators.

Advocates raised more than $100,000 to promote the venture, receiving $20,000 each from the five companies or groups vying to run the casino.

"We did the best we could," Hoyt said. "I think we gave them much more of a fight than they thought was possible."