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Read Full BioThe state of Indiana has announced that it will finally progress its discussions on online gambling legislation in 2025. The measure aims to approve and regulate online poker and casino games within the state.
Ethan Manning, the Indiana state representative, has brought forward House Bill (HB) 1432. It aims to authorize “the lottery commission to operate the sale of draw games and eInstant games” in Indiana.
Talks about the measure’s release began earlier this year, before finally being assigned to the House Committee on Public Policy on January 21, 2025.
Manning is a chair of the committee and has a history of supporting previous gambling-related bills. This includes House Bill 1053 and its ties to the Horse Racing Commission, which was last amended on January 21, 2025.
Discussions for both HB 1432 and House Bill 1433, a second bill on charity-gaming schemes, are scheduled for deliberation on January 28, 2025.
Indiana was originally expected to authorize online poker and casino-style games back in 2023. However, Manning’s first bill expired in light of a gambling corruption scandal, which caused Indiana to temporarily cease all legislative actions surrounding iGaming.
Lawmakers believed the temporary setback for iGaming stemmed from former state representative, Sean Eberhart, being charged in a scheme benefiting Spectacle Gaming.
Eberhart was charged for accepting a bribe from Spectacle Gaming, cutting licensing fees from two purchases in exchange for a future position at the company, with a salary of $350,000 per year.
In late 2023, Eberhart pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. He was sentenced to a fine and a prison term of one year and one day, followed by an additional year of supervised release.
The period of regulatory pause is finally over, as Indiana becomes the latest in a long line-up of US states to assess the iGaming market and its potential for growth and tax revenue.
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