Supporters introduced a bill to legalize real money online casino gambling in Indiana's state legislature this month ahead of what will likely be a difficult legislative journey.
Lawmakers are still smarting from a scandal that led former Rep. Sean Eberhart to prison.
Indiana online casino gambling background
Despite its increasingly conservative political leanings, Indiana is one of the United States' more progressive gambling states. It licenses more than a dozen retail casinos and was one of the first to approve statewide mobile sports wagering.
It appeared to be one of the more likely contenders to legalize real money digital slots and table games before Eberhart’s conviction. The former House representative was convicted of conspiring with Indiana-based gaming company Spectacle Entertainment to pass laws that lowered the company’s tax rates in return for a job and corporate equity.
Political leaders said the scandal, which dates back to votes cast in 2019, made further gaming bills politically untenable. Current Rep. Ethan Manning, the 2025 bills’ sponsor, now has to overcome not just the stigma in the statehouse but also entrenched political difficulties.
The latest proposed Indiana online casino gaming bill would permit real-money versions of "poker, blackjack, or other card, slot, and gambling games typically offered in a casino, and any other game approved by the (state gaming) commission"
— Ryan Butler (@ButlerBets) January 15, 2025
Only seven states have any form of legal online casino gambling and only four enjoy competitive markets like the one Manning’s bill proposed. 39 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico approved legal sports betting but iCasinos have proven far more legislatively unpopular.
Opponents argue the games will fuel addiction issues and other societal ills. Labor interests have also opposed online casino gambling efforts in other states, arguing digital games hurt in-person casino revenues and employment opportunities.
Supporters such as Manning also have to contend with a block of fellow Republicans who oppose gambling morally and will not support any expansion.
The bill calls for an online casino gambling launch Sept. 1, 2025. The legislation would also permit online lottery ticket sales, expand problem gambling programs, and restrict certain types of sportsbook ads, initiatives that could be more popular.
Manning’s bill awaits further action in the House Public Policy Committee, the same body that oversaw Eberhart’s bills. No action is scheduled and it remains to be seen if the committee will discuss the bill.
Significant industry interest
Most of the nation’s online casino gaming companies will have interest – and potential market access – if the bill passes as written.
Hard Rock, Penn Entertainment, Caesars and Bally’s operate casinos in the state and would be safe bets to launch one (or more) of their in-house brands. The plethora of available licenses is also likely to attract other major national iCasino operators including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, BetRivers, and bet365.
All of the aforementioned brands could also look to bring in multiple secondary iCasinos such as Caesars’ Horseshoe and MGM’s Borgata and Wheel of Fortune.
Indiana would join Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey as the only states with competitive iCasino markets. Delaware, Rhode Island and Connecticut all restrict iCasino licenses to two brands or fewer.
Maryland, Virginia and Wyoming are among a handful of other states expected to seriously consider online casino gambling legalization this year. Though their political makeups vary, each faces similar logistical and political roadblocks.
Online table games and slots make significantly more profit for operators than traditional digital sportsbooks. Even a small chance for a competitive online gaming market as proposed in Manning’s bill will draw significant industry attention.
