Former Indiana State Representative Sean Eberhart (R) was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison for pushing a bill favoring a casino company in exchange for a future job prospect.
In November, Eberhart pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud. He would have faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison and agreed to pay $60,000 in restitution, approximately his annual pay as a legislator. However, the Indianapolis Star reported Wednesday that prosecutors advised leniency as part of the plea deal signed in November 2023.
The case dates back to 2018 when, according to court records, hospitality company Spectacle Entertainment was looking to purchase two casinos on Lake Michigan in Gary, Indiana, and relocate the facilities to downtown Gary and Vigo County in western Indiana.
At the time, Eberhart sat on a committee responsible for reviewing legislative proposals on casinos and gambling. The bill approving the move was passed by the legislature in 2019.
Prosecutors have accused Eberhart of using his position to successfully advocate for the relocation in exchange for his future employment, with an annual salary of at least $350,000. Eberhart also promised to secure favorable terms for the company, including tax incentives.
However, Bradley Shepard, the U.S. Attorney's Office's senior litigation counsel, admitted on Wednesday that the bill could have been approved without Eberhart's vote. Still, he contended that it wouldn't have been passed in a manner that was as advantageous to Spectacle.
“I have to think it was simply a matter of greed,” commented Shepard, as reported in the Indianapolis Star.
Zivhas been deep in the iGaming trenches for over 20 years, long before most people could spell "geolocation compliance." With a background in marketing and business development at some of the biggest names in gambling tech, Ziv knows the industry from the inside out. Since joining Covers, he's turned his sharp eye (and sharper keyboard) toward everything happening in the fast-moving world of online gambling. Whether it's new state launches, the latest twists in regulation, or what the big operators and game providers are cooking up next, Ziv breaks it all down with clarity, context, and just the right amount of snark. He covers the business side of betting, from affiliate trends and revenue reports to the tech powering your favorite slots. His motto in writing is “let’s make it make sense without putting you to sleep.”
When he’s not tracking gambling legislation or looking for the next breaking story, Ziv is living and dying with every pitch and play from his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. As a Pitt graduate, it’s a city loyalty forged in heartbreak, but one he wouldn’t trade for anything, except maybe a few more playoff wins.
When away from the keyboard, Ziv loves to hit the road and soak up the energy of casinos. Whether strolling the neon jungle called the Vegas Strip, or wandering into a smoky riverboat casino in the Midwest, Ziv’s in his element. He’s the guy chatting with players, blackjack dealers, and asking pit bosses way too many questions, all in the name of “research,” of course. The casino floor isn’t just his workplace, it’s a weird and wonderful ecosystem of flashing lights, wild characters, and pure sensory overload, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on
this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide
any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in
your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner
of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.
