- Mobile and retail sportsbooks would be permitted in the state.
- Table games will be allowed in racinos starting in 2020.
- Indiana joins Montana and Iowa, who are waiting for their governor’s signature.
INDIANAPOLIS – Approved by both the House and the Senate on Wednesday, the bill that would legalize sports betting in Indiana is only one signature away from becoming law.
HB 1015 is in transit to Governor Eric Holcomb’s office, where he will have one week to decide the state’s fate.
Amended multiple times, the inclusion of mobile wagering would allow Indiana sports bettors to place bets from anywhere within the state. Similar to New Jersey, both tourists and citizens of the Hoosier State would be able to create an account on the platforms.
Players would also have the option to visit one of the many riverboat casinos, racinos, and OTB locations, who can be licensed by the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) to legal offer sports wagering for an initial fee of $100,000. License renewals are 50% of the initial fee and must be paid yearly, along with a monthly 9.5% tax on the adjusted gross revenue.
Though college athletics would be safe to bet on, any high school athletics or esports are prohibited through the bill’s text. In play betting will also be given restrictions and guidelines that is solely up to the IGC.
The reason for the bill coming down to the wire was based on a few last minute agreements. Not only does HB 1015 permit sports betting, but it also authorizes the movement and addition of casinos in the state.
With the fear that existing casinos would feel the impact financially from the newly located gambling facilities, an agreement was reached by legislators to have payments granted to four cities.
Other parts of the bill included table games being permitted at horse tracks sooner than originally scheduled. Now 18 months sooner, the tracks will be able to brandish live dealers by the beginning of 2020.
Seven states have launched licensed sportsbooks since the repeal of PASPA nearly a year ago and Indiana could be the ninth state in the country with a legal sports betting industry, with the inclusion of Nevada.
Elsewhere around the country, Montana and Iowa have also approved measures and are awaiting a governor’s signature. New York and Arkansas are in the middle of finalizing the launch of their industry and many other states still continue to raise discussions.
It is expected that Indiana, Montana, and Iowa will become the next set of states to join the trend, making sports betting legal in over a quarter of the country.