INDIANAPOLIS - Gen Con 2016 organizers are expecting another record-setting year as they complete final preparations for the four-day event that begins Thursday. Visit Indy estimates 61,000 attendees will generate a $71 million impact on the local economy. The gaming convention is booked in Indianapolis through 2020, but its long-term future in the city is uncertain in the wake of last year's passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.



Gen Con has already set one record for this year's event. The event will feature a record number of exhibitors with 518, which is a 26 percent increase over last year. For the first time, Gen Con 2016 will feature events in Lucas Oil Stadium as well as the Indiana Convention Center. When it was announced in December, Chief Executive Officer Adrian Swartout said it had become "evident that we have to accelerate our growth plans to meet attendee, exhibitor and event organizer demand."



Swartout has been a vocal critic of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. While she has said she's "disappointed" in the legislation, she says the organization will honor its contract with the city. Discussions on events past 2020 continue between Gen Con and the city.



Gen Con 2016 runs Thursday, August 4 through Sunday, August 7.