It's Official - Indiana Governor Sign Sports Gambling Bill

It was a grind, a lot of give and take, but finally, Indiana residents will soon be able to legally wager on sports. On Wednesday, May 8, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 1015 into law. Availability will occur as fast as the state's designated providers can get everything up and running, likely the day before Notre Dame's 2019 college football season opener. 

Some of the designated providers might include Belterra Casino, Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg, Horseshoe Southern Indiana, Indiana Grand Casino and Tropicana Evansville.

Under provisions of the law, Indiana residents and visitors residing in Indiana at the time wagers are placed will be permitted to legally gamble on a wide range of sports events from all over the world. Included on that list will be important horse racing events like the Kentucky Derby from nearby Louisville, Kentucky. Additionally, sports bettors and fans will be able to wager on pro and college sports that include major sports team from in-state. 

It's noteworthy that the bill also contains a provision for online sports gambling at some time in the future. Preliminary indications are the federal court system might shoot down the Department of Justice's attempt to ban funding of online accounts with wiring resources (credit cards, bank wire) as per the Wire Act of 1961.

Indiana's Takes the Lead in the Midwest

As the first Midwestern state to legalize sports gambling, Indiana is placing a lot of pressure on neighboring states to follow suit or watch tax revenue dollars flow into Indiana's coffers. Since visitors sitting within the state's borders at the time bets are made will be considered legal, residents from states like Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky are just a few miles away from sports betting access. 

According to Sara Slane, senior vice president of public affairs for the American Gaming Association (AGA), "Indiana is one step closer to reaping the benefits of legal, regulated sports betting with a framework founded on a sensible tax rate and free from unnecessary league fees or carve-outs. This bill enables convenience like mobile wagering and a safe alternative to the pervasive illegal market for the millions of Hoosiers who are already betting on sports.” 

Here's some bill bullet points:

• Statewide mobile wagering
  
• No betting on eSports or high school sports
  
• $10,000 fee for a vendor license and a $50,000 annual renewal fee
  
• Limits on in-play betting and data restrictions to be determined by the Indiana Gambling Commission