Online Casino Gambling Dies on the Vine in Indiana

After seemingly making a little bit of progress, online casino gambling (iGaming) has likely been laid to rest in 2025. Rep. Todd Huston, the Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, delivered the bad news to hopeful Indiana residents, stating that the current legislation before the House has reached an impasse.

This is the 4th time in the last few years that the Indiana House has tried to get meaningful iGaming legislation before Congress. It's not likely going to be the last time but iGaming proponents will probably have to wait until 2026 before they make another attempt.

What was on the Table?

The bill that was on the table here in 2025 was HB 1432, a bill that was sponsored by Rep. Ethan Manning. The bill sought to set forth the regulations by which iGaming access would be regulated. Here are some of the key details tied to the bill:

• The Indiana Gaming Commission would be charged with setting regulations


• Each race track and retail casino would be permitted to seek one license at an initial fee of $500K


• Each license would be allowed to run up to three skins


• The Indiana Responsible Gambling and Problem Gambling Services Program would be established


• A tax rate of 26% would be charged on gross revenue


• $500K would be earmarked for the Problem Gambling Fund


• The Indiana Lottery would be authorized to sell tickets online

Looking back on the bill, Huston thought some problems made the bill too complex. he stated to the press:

“There’s all sorts of moving parts about how it impacts certain communities, what it does to the overall gaming environment in Indiana. I think all those things just make it complex to work through.” He would later add: “Just trying to find something there was some consensus on, felt like it was a pretty tough spot to be.”

Prior Issues That May Have Plagued the Current Attempt

The negative view of online casino gambling in Indiana was seemingly born in 2023 when a highly-criticized fiscal note was issued. The note expressed concerns that the legalization would significantly impact the gaming revenue brought in by Indiana's retail casino community.

Later in 2023, Congress was hit with a massive scandal when former Indiana Rep. Sean Eberhart was forced to plead guilty to corruption charges. The corruption charges related to o attempts to expand gambling statewide in 2019. The impact of this scandal left a bad taste in the mouths of Congress officials, resulting in no 2024 attempts to get iGaming legislation passed.

If there is a positive side to the pursuit of iGaming legislation next year, it comes from the support offered by the Indiana Casino Association. It's a good bet that should Manning put forth a new bill in 2026, it's the support of this association that will stand at the cornerstone of what is included in the bill.