When taking a look at the Indiana laws and regulations its easy to see a pattern. When change happens it happens rather rapidly and then it stops. For the longest time, there were no clear laws in this state focusing on gambling. Now the laws clearly define gambling as “risking money or other property for a gain, contingent upon lot, chance, or the operation of a gambling device.”

The first government-sanctioned lottery was created in 1988 now known as the Hoosier Lottery. The lottery is named after the state’s nickname. Apart from the state lottery legalised locals also have the option of taking part in multi-state lotteries such as the Mega Millions and the Powerball.

Shortly after the lottery was legalised Bingo was added to the mix in 1992 and 1993 riverboat casinos were written into law. Finally, riverboat casinos were legalised and operators were able to get licensed and regulated. While regular casinos were still considered taboo it was possible to head to the docks to enjoy your favourite range of casino games.

Then Horse racing was legalised in 1994 with off-track betting launching a year later. This lead to the opening of Hoosier Park and other racetracks. While pari-mutuel betting on horse races flourished within the state greyhound racing remained banned due to its ties to animal cruelty.

Interestingly enough in 2006 where most people started embracing online gambling America passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which was incorporated in Indiana legislature too. All online gambling was shut down at the time mobile phones began to shine.

Then in 2007, the racetrack betting law was expanded which allowed racetracks to add up to 2,000 slot machines to the track facilities. Indiana ‘racinos’ were born and casino gamblers no longer had to head to riverboat casinos for casino fun. By 2011 land-based casinos were legalised and Indiana players were free from riverboat casino limitations completely.

Then in 2016, the online gambling expansion started seeping through in Indiana. Which led to Daily Fantasy Sports being legalised in the state. From there it took two years to legalise sports betting which was written into law in September 2019. Online sports betting followed in October 2019 with licensed casinos partnering with online sportsbooks to provide mobile and internet sports betting options. 

In Indiana, the majority of gambling activities runs through the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC). This primary regulatory authority oversees all authorized gaming activity currently which includes casino gaming, sports wagering, daily fantasy sports and charity gaming. The only sectors they are not in charge of is pari-mutuel betting and the lottery.

Pari-mutuel betting is licensed and regulated by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission (IHRC). The lottery is run by the Indiana Lottery Commission. All of the regulatory bodies have the authority to adopt emergency rules when necessary. These rules will be posted on their respective websites as required.

Anyone who wishes to operate a casino or offer sports wagering, daily fantasy sports or charitable gaming must be licensed by the IGC. No pari-mutuel wagering can be held at a horse racing track unless a recognized meeting permit has been issued by the IHRC. Furthermore all Lottery ticket retailers must hold a certificate of authority issued by the Indiana Lottery Commission.

By law, the IGC may only issue up to 13 casinos licensed subject to geographic restrictions. Only two pari-mutuel wagering permits may be issued by the IHRC. But a person may apply to the IHRC for a license to operate an OTB of which there can be five granted. Any casino that wants to offer sports wagering options have to obtain a certificate of authority from the IGC first before they can offer sports wagering at the casino or via a mobile platform.

Any Daily Fantasy Sports betting options can only be offered when a game operator license has been issued by the IGC. Licensed operators may only conduct games through websites or at a casino, horse track or licensed OTB.

Any Bingo activities can only be legally hosted when the organization is considered charitable, religious, veteran, educational, civic or political. Any organization that meets this criteria can receive a license to conduct bingo, poker and other forms of charity gaming.

The licensing restrictions in Indiana are tight and heavily regulated to ensure that players are safe and gambling activities are done responsibly. The primary focus is on creating a safely regulated gambling space where fraud and other taboo activities are kept at bay.