Brian Eason

IndyStar

After six years in Indianapolis, the Pokémon U.S. National Championships is leaving Indiana for Columbus, Ohio, the game's official website announced.

More than 2,000 Pokémon players attend the annual event, which features card and video game tournaments. It serves as a qualifier for the annual Pokémon World Championships.

The three-day event will be conducted July 1-3 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

News of the departure comes at a tense time for the local tourism industry, which has long warned that the state could be losing convention business due to ongoing debates at the Statehouse over religious freedom and LGBT rights. It was not immediately clear whether the departure was related to last year's Religious Freedom Restoration Act controversy.

Attempts to reach the event organizers were unsuccessful Thursday. Visit Indy, the city's tourism arm, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Visit Indy reports record year for Indianapolis tourism

Call IndyStar reporter Brian Eason at (317) 444-6129. Follow him on Twitter: @brianeason.

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